Official Information Act Request – Case-Level Bicycle & E-Bike Theft Data for New Zealand: Auckland & Christchurch Focus

Shourjo Dasgupta made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police

Currently waiting for a response from New Zealand Police, they must respond promptly and normally no later than (details and exceptions).

From: Shourjo Dasgupta

Kia ora,

I am preparing a national report on bicycle and e-bike thefts in New Zealand, with a strong focus on trends and risks in Auckland and Christchurch.
Under the Official Information Act 1982, I respectfully request the following information for all of New Zealand, with the highest possible detail for Auckland and Christchurch:

All recorded bicycle and e-bike thefts (Jan 2023 – latest available month in 2025, or Police's standard analytic period):

Incident date & time (including hour or AM/PM if available)

Incident location (meshblock, street, suburb, or police area—highest permitted detail, fallback to police area/suburb if privacy requires)

Police station or area responsible

Type of bicycle (distinguishing e-bikes if possible)

Value of item stolen (raw or in banded ranges)

Event/case reference number (where held)

Outcome/disposition (recovered, unresolved, prosecution, conviction)

Additional analytic fields (where available):

Storage context (e.g., shed/garage, outdoor rack, workplace rack, balcony/porch, public place, other)

Locking method and whether bike/e-bike was locked (e.g., cable lock, U-lock, chain, combo, multiple locks)

Reporting channel (police, registry, public tip, social media, other)

Victim demographics (age band, gender, ethnicity, aggregated/anonymized)

Recovery condition of property (rideable, repairable, junk/salvage)

Indicator if incident involved sale/online fencing (bike offered/sold via marketplace)

Indicator if incident occurred near university/school

Insurance status of victim, if recorded

Police internal estimate of underreported/unrecorded thefts (if available based on analysis, survey, or modeling)

Recovery & reporting details:

Number & percentage of thefts resulting in recovery, by mechanism (police action, public tip, registry match, etc.)

Preferred data format:

CSV, spreadsheet (xlsx), or GIS shapefile.

Geospatial and summary data:

Any “hotspot” maps or spatial models of bike/e-bike thefts at national level, and with strong focus on Auckland and Christchurch.

Incident time-of-day breakdowns (e.g., overnight/morning/afternoon/evening).

Privacy and aggregation:

Do not include personally identifiable information. Please aggregate or anonymize where required to comply with Section 18(c).

Optimal time frame:

If Police use a recommended or standard period for reporting/analysis, please advise and provide as appropriate. Otherwise, Jan 2023 to present.

Please acknowledge receipt and advise if any clarification, refinement, or technical adjustment would improve delivery. I am happy to collaborate as needed.

Thank you for your assistance.

Ngā mihi

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