Stolen Bike Registry - do this when your bike gets stolen

"With all the stolen bike posts lately (and no one thinking "I wonder if there's something under Useful Links for this."), I think it's well past time to make a sticky about the Stolen Bike Registry"

 - Tank-Ridin' Ryan

 

Well said Ryan.

 

 

http://chicago.stolenbike.org/

 

Done and done.

 

And sticky too.

 

 

Cheers - Lee Diamond

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Permalink Reply by Poptart on July 12, 2011 at 2:14pm

 Stolen from brompton and lakeshore 7/12/11

60" Schwinn

 

 

Permalink Reply by Cyclist1969 on July 13, 2011 at 11:38am
Sometimes locks do work...sometimes too well. :)
Permalink Reply by Damon on July 15, 2011 at 1:23am
Thought I'd add my story to this thread. Good things do happen... sometimes. I was thinking of posting the description of my stolen bike ('05 Bianchi Pista), when the very next day my friend called to tell me that a messenger was locking it up outside of the Thompson Center. I raced down (in my car, ha) and found him and a uniformed officer on a "bike stakeout", waiting for the messenger to come up from breakfast. After 10 minutes or so the officer decided we may have spooked the messenger off, so he called in his "plain clothes guys". Now I've got five people working on the case! We release my buddy from the event (thanks again Mike!) and drive around the corner to let the plain-clothes officers stakeout my bike. No sooner do we pull around the corner, we see the messenger that fits the description. The cop asks him to get in the car, and asks how much he paid for his bike. He says he got it yesterday and paid $150 for it, then turns around to me and goes "sorry man". Some of the cops were convinced he did it, either way they've picked him up for this before. When they asked me if I wanted to press charges, I said no. This dude was old and I didn't see him learning any life lessons anytime soon. I was just (and still am) so stoked to have my bike back. This kind of thing just doesn't happen!!
Permalink Reply by Cyclist1969 on July 15, 2011 at 1:31am

You're a lucky one...congrats!



Damon said:

Thought I'd add my story to this thread. Good things do happen... sometimes. I was thinking of posting the description of my stolen bike ('05 Bianchi Pista), when the very next day my friend called to tell me that a messenger was locking it up outside of the Thompson Center. I raced down (in my car, ha) and found him and a uniformed officer on a "bike stakeout", waiting for the messenger to come up from breakfast. After 10 minutes or so the officer decided we may have spooked the messenger off, so he called in his "plain clothes guys". Now I've got five people working on the case! We release my buddy from the event (thanks again Mike!) and drive around the corner to let the plain-clothes officers stakeout my bike. No sooner do we pull around the corner, we see the messenger that fits the description. The cop asks him to get in the car, and asks how much he paid for his bike. He says he got it yesterday and paid $150 for it, then turns around to me and goes "sorry man". Some of the cops were convinced he did it, either way they've picked him up for this before. When they asked me if I wanted to press charges, I said no. This dude was old and I didn't see him learning any life lessons anytime soon. I was just (and still am) so stoked to have my bike back. This kind of thing just doesn't happen!!
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 15, 2011 at 1:37am

I guess the bike thieves who stripped this bike were too stupid to know how to remove the cranks.

 

It's a <$20 tool you fools. 

 

-

 

Awesome story Damon.  Glad you got your bike back!

 



Cyclist1969 said:

Sometimes locks do work...sometimes too well. :)
Permalink Reply by Vilda on July 15, 2011 at 2:16am

Damon, good story. You needed to press charges. Even if he didn't do it himself he knew he was buy stolen merchandise. He will do it again. At least he coulda been off the street for a minute. Been processed and when he does it again he will face more severe charges (have no doubt he'll do it again).

 

And next time he can pull the same hang dog look and say "sorry man" cause there is no record this event took place.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Red on July 15, 2011 at 2:23am
I fully agree Ryan. Thanks for saying something. Look how many effin' bikes get posted here. Think of all the ones that don't. There need to be consequences.
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 15, 2011 at 2:26am

Anyone who has ever bought a used bike is in danger of buying a stolen bike.  Determining provenance on bikes is nearly impossible and one has solely the word and (and previous judgement) of the seller to go on.

 

So unless one ONLY buys brand new bikes judge not lest you be judged yourself. 

Permalink Reply by David on July 15, 2011 at 3:02am

I know you were trying to be a nice person here, but this story really rubs me the wrong way.  The police invested a lot of resources in retrieving your bike and their efforts paid off when they picked up a repeat offender.  But you refused to press charges, leaving the thief free to rob somebody elses bike and convincing the police that it isn't worth putting time and effort into bike recovery.

 

Even if he's telling the truth and he bought the bike, if he's been picked up before (multiple times?) for stolen bikes then he's obviously doing so knowingly.  If I ever accidentally bought a stolen bike, you can be sure that I'd start insisting on receipts and IDs the next time I bought a used bike. 


Damon said:

Thought I'd add my story to this thread. Good things do happen... sometimes. I was thinking of posting the description of my stolen bike ('05 Bianchi Pista), when the very next day my friend called to tell me that a messenger was locking it up outside of the Thompson Center. I raced down (in my car, ha) and found him and a uniformed officer on a "bike stakeout", waiting for the messenger to come up from breakfast. After 10 minutes or so the officer decided we may have spooked the messenger off, so he called in his "plain clothes guys". Now I've got five people working on the case! We release my buddy from the event (thanks again Mike!) and drive around the corner to let the plain-clothes officers stakeout my bike. No sooner do we pull around the corner, we see the messenger that fits the description. The cop asks him to get in the car, and asks how much he paid for his bike. He says he got it yesterday and paid $150 for it, then turns around to me and goes "sorry man". Some of the cops were convinced he did it, either way they've picked him up for this before. When they asked me if I wanted to press charges, I said no. This dude was old and I didn't see him learning any life lessons anytime soon. I was just (and still am) so stoked to have my bike back. This kind of thing just doesn't happen!!
Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on July 15, 2011 at 3:20am

Something about the story rubs me the wrong way too.  

 

In the USA we have a thing called "innocent until proven guilty."  This means that someone isn't blamed for a crime unless they are found guilty by jury of their peers or else have waived their right of self-incrimination and confessed and plead guilty to an offense.

 

Did the police say he has a record of actually being indicted or found guilty as a bike thief -or that he has merely been "picked up" before but never charged or found guilty?  If the latter then the police have no business spreading around slanderous hearsay IMHO.

 

Not that I'm arguing being soft on bike thieves.  People caught stealing bikes should be punished severely including having to pay back ALL damages to their victims with interest (this whole paying one's debt to "society" thing is pretty weak IMHO -repay the VICTIM for all lost time/money/suffering) and their names/faces should be publicly published so that society can watch them in the future.  Thieves suck. 

 

But spreading the blame onto possible innocent victims of stolen property re-sale is kind of lame IMHO.  Most or at least many bike owners don't even bother to write down their own serial numbers for the police reports when they get their bikes stolen from them.  Bike manufacturers make almost no effort to standardize serial number schemes, locations on the frame, or make it easy for the system when their bikes are stolen.  Just about any used bike could be a "stolen bike," and anyone in the bike business (like a messenger who might go through a lot of bikes because they are stolen from him too) who has handled any used bikes might get caught up in the scandal even though they did their best to try and not buy a stolen bike.

 

Sure, this incident should have been followed up on.  But jumping to the conclusion that this guy was/is the bike thief is a bit pre-mature.  Bike theft victimizes many people in our community.  But we need to be careful not to paint with a broad brush.

Permalink Reply by Vilda on July 15, 2011 at 4:52am
It's not the cops job to judge anyone. That's the Courts job. But by not pressing charges this shit bag was let off before ever seeing a court. If someone takes the time to call the cops then ya take the time to press charges. I dont care if this guy was a repeat offender or it was his first time. whether he stole it or bought it (150 for a bianchi huh? now question u r buying a stolen bike let's be very honest here.) Press charges and let him have a day in court and a record of the event. Simple.
Permalink Reply by Holly on July 15, 2011 at 5:05am

I share Gabe's sentiment. That bike was in the upper $400 range when it was new, wasn't it? Even in our terrible economy--$150 seems like a steal...

 

I think it would have been of benefit to see this through to its end. If someone buys a decent bike from someone off the street and it's highly undervalued, common sense might dictate that it's probably hot.

 

What's as troubling is that many messengers are bicyclists, right? I cannot abide by any cyclist who buys a stolen bike. It's like shitting where you eat. Oh, and I'm not sure what being "old" has to do with it.

 

Nonetheless, I am very glad to hear you got your bike back!

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