Bike Theft Season is Here

Nicer Weather = More Bikes

More Bikes = More Bike Thefts

We are entering high season for Bike Theft in the City of Chicago. After a slow start to the season, which correlates highly with the mean daily temperature, the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry received five reports on Saturday and seven on Sunday. If last year is any indication, they’ll peak out at a rate of more than six per day, and a really busy day may see as many as ten thefts reported in a single day.

CSBR reports totaled 1093 for 2012, which represented a 41% increase in reports from 2011. As in 2011: 20% of those stolen bikes (CSBR) weren’t locked - no lock at all. 34% of those stolen bikes (CSBR) were locked with either a combination cable lock, a cable with an integrated key lock or a cable with a padlock.

For me, these are the most frustrating types of thefts, because with a minimal amount of effort and expense on the part of the owner, this number could be eliminated or greatly reduced.

The number of these stolen bikes reunited with their owners was just under 2% (21/1093). Many more stolen bikes are recovered, but without registration, proof of ownership, or even a serial number, many stolen bikes end up being sold at City auctions, donated to not-for-profits, or discarded. A friend of the CSBR who is an officer with the UIC police department has told us that they donate truckloads of recovered bikes each year which can’t be matched with an owner, a serial number, a police report, or a CSBR entry. About a third of all reports to the CSBR include a serial number.

The Chicago Stolen Bike Registry now contains a link which enables you to register your bike BEFORE IT’S STOLEN. The link is to Bike Shepherd, an organization based in London which enables you to register your bike, enter a photo if you like, record any identifying accessories that distinguish your bike and print a certificate for your records. A dirty little secret about registering your bike with the Chicago Police Department is that your registration drops out of their system every two years.

Register your bike. Write down your serial number. Take a picture of your bike. Don’t lock your bike and leave it in a common area that other people can access. Don’t lock your bike with some form of cable lock as your only security device. Don’t lock your bike to a fence or a sucker pole. Don’t leave your unlocked bike in front of a store, on your back porch, in a garage or in a yard. Bike thieves can and do climb fences and stairs!

Riding a bike is fun. Returning to the location where you locked your bike and finding it there is almost as much fun.

CSBR%202011-4%3A2013.pdf