Forty bicycles previously held by Greater Manchester Police have been donated to a Bury cycling project that teaches young people bike repair skills and encourages healthy activity.
The bikes will be used by the Nationwide Cycling Academy to provide training and opportunities for young people across the area.
The bicycles were handed over during an event at Philips Park in Whitefield attended by officers from Bury Neighbourhood Policing Team and representatives from the Nationwide Cycling Academy.
Greater Manchester Police said the bikes had come from a range of sources over several years, including lost and stolen bicycles that remained unclaimed and bicycles seized during criminal investigations.
Before the donation, all bicycles were audited and assessed by GMP staff to ensure they were suitable for reuse. Members of the force's Property Office carried out the necessary checks and processing.
The Nationwide Cycling Academy plans to use the bikes to teach repair and maintenance skills while also supporting cycling activities on mountain bike trails in the Bury area.
Police said the project aims to provide positive activities for young people and help reduce the risk of anti social behaviour by offering alternative opportunities within the community.
Chief Inspector Andy Wright of GMP's Bury Neighbourhood Policing Team said,
“This scheme is an example of community based engagement and activities being used as a deterrent to anti social behaviour.
“By providing young people with these opportunities – safe bike rides, and trying new skills – we can engage with them and provide awareness on the risks of criminality.
“The bikes have been collected over a number of years from various sources, from long since forgotten unclaimed bikes to criminally seized ones, and I am glad we are now utilising them for a positive programme as opposed to gathering dust.
“Our engagement work is a vital strand of neighbourhood policing and alongside our regular proactive action, we hope to provide further programmes and schemes in the future.”
The donation comes ahead of Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action, which runs from 15 to 21 June. GMP said neighbourhood officers and PCSOs play a key role in building trust, preventing crime and addressing issues that matter most to local communities, including anti social behaviour.
The force has around 1,400 neighbourhood officers working across 38 teams throughout Greater Manchester.
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