Crimes on the Bristol and Bath Railway Path increased by a third in a year, with 12 incidents reported in 2024.
In 2023, nine crimes happened there. Last year’s increase followed two years of drops. Crimes decreased a lot before that.
Thirty-five crimes happened in 2020. That number fell to fifteen in 2021. Then, eight crimes happened in 2022.
Common assault/battery happened most. Four such incidents occurred last year. Next, robbery of property totalled three. Assault caused bodily harm twice. Exposure also happened twice. One business robbery also occurred.
Half the crimes happened from 6 PM to midnight. That’s six hours of problems.
Police want a safe path for everyone. Officers patrol often on foot and bike. Police address antisocial behavior and crime. They ask people to keep reporting incidents. This aids responses and resource plans. Police host free bike marking events. This helps prevent crime. Cyclists should use this system.
Police updated policing for the path in 2020. Sustrans revealed plans for safety then.
BristolLive reported path issues in late 2024. Residents worried about masked youths. They caused issues for a year. Youths used fast electric vehicles. They blocked people and swerved close. This intimidated others on the path.
Cyclists sought action after robberies in November. One involved a knife. A driver fell off his e-bike. Another lost his bike at knifepoint.