The Chainlink

Northshore area theivery

Yikes, Wilmette Beacon reports there were 188 bike thefts in Wilmette alone last year and over 200 in each of the years 2008-2012.  Most were locked bikes at schools and train stations. Police Chief Joe Pellus blames it on the cyclists taking inadequate measures, but I have seen mostly old bikes locked securely, and little if ever any police protection. I'm pretty sure if two or three parked cars were broken into, they would be all over it.  200 bikes, meh. 

Views: 398

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on August 9, 2013 at 11:53am

I know that there was a ring of bike thiefs that were caught a while back that were riding the Metra and getting off at the North Shore Line stops and "shopping" for bikes. Perhaps that ring was just an example of a larger problem.

I park my commuter bike everyday in front of the Chase bank next to the Central Street stop in Evanston. Never had a problem, and a lot of that is due to the extensive surveillance cameras at the bank. Wilmette has very nice covered parking for bikes by the Wilmette Metra stop. That parking is in the middle of the commuter parking lot. It'd be pretty bold to life a bike from the Metra parking.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 12:02pm

Yes let's blame the victim. Great job identifying the culprit. Your house wouldn't have been broken into if you didn't have all that expensive stuff in it ...

That being said yes you have to take measures to lock your bike securely. I wouldn't leave my bike locked at a train station for an entire day without double u-locks. And I would try to find the best parking spot just like Mike.  

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 9, 2013 at 12:07pm

You must mean Kenneth Robertson, who incidentally, is still resting comfortably in a Cook County correctional facility.

 

Mike Keating said:

I know that there was a ring of bike thiefs that were caught a while back that were riding the Metra and getting off at the North Shore Line stops and "shopping" for bikes. Perhaps that ring was just an example of a larger problem.

I park my commuter bike everyday in front of the Chase bank next to the Central Street stop in Evanston. Never had a problem, and a lot of that is due to the extensive surveillance cameras at the bank. Wilmette has very nice covered parking for bikes by the Wilmette Metra stop. That parking is in the middle of the commuter parking lot. It'd be pretty bold to life a bike from the Metra parking.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 12:12pm

Wasn't he busted by Wilmette? I remember being happy that a police department took bike theft seriously enough to stake out the Metra parking lot and follow them back to their warehouse. 

Kevin C said:

You must mean Kenneth Robertson, who incidentally, is still resting comfortably in a Cook County correctional facility.

Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 9, 2013 at 12:16pm

Yes. See above Wilmette press release. This Sunday, Kenny will have been in for 19 months.

Rich S said:

Wasn't he busted by Wilmette? I remember being happy that a police department took bike theft seriously enough to stake out the Metra parking lot and follow them back to their warehouse. 

Kevin C said:

You must mean Kenneth Robertson, who incidentally, is still resting comfortably in a Cook County correctional facility.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 9, 2013 at 12:16pm

I think Mike must be referring to something else. Kenneth and crew were apprehended by Wilmette police following them (their van)  back to their storage locker in Chicago.

I vaguely remember something along the lines of what he describes, and my guess is that it was Evanston.

I have yet to see any evidence that presence of surveillance cameras is a significant deterrent to bicycle theft.  Victims send us surveillance images and occasionally footage on a regular basis and there's not a damn thing anyone can do with it. I would not rely  on its presence to any great extent to keep your bike safe.

 

Since I've been following bike theft, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, and Oak Park police have done a lot more to fight it than Chicago police have, with Wilmette probably being number one in terms of getting the serious bike thieves off the street. Kind of funny that there would be a discussion started just to rail on Wilmette police about the resources they devote to bike theft.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 9, 2013 at 12:25pm

And actually twice. They were arrested by Wilmette police for stealing bikes from a Wilmette Metra stop, and didn't end up in the slammer until they were caught again stealing bikes from a Metra stop in Wilmette  (6 months later?)

Kevin C said:

Yes. See above Wilmette press release. This Sunday, Kenny will have been in for 19 months.

Rich S said:

Wasn't he busted by Wilmette? I remember being happy that a police department took bike theft seriously enough to stake out the Metra parking lot and follow them back to their warehouse. 

Kevin C said:

You must mean Kenneth Robertson, who incidentally, is still resting comfortably in a Cook County correctional facility.

Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 12:32pm

Duh ... it says Village of Wilmette right at the top.  :) 

I wasn't railing on the department. Just criticizing the chief for blaming the victim although now that I think about it the OP didn't post a reference or link to the chief's statement. Either way kudos to the police departments that do take bike theft seriously and take steps to combat it.  

Permalink Reply by Jay Stanton Goldstein on August 10, 2013 at 7:58pm

188 in 2012 stolen in Wilmette, down from 212 in 2011, so I guess it is going the right direction, and maybe taking those thieves caught off the street might be responsible for the small reduction.  Though still seems hard to believe that was enough deterrent if theft rates remain so high...

RSS

Groups

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service