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Permalink Reply by Mike Keating on August 9, 2013 at 5:53am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 6:02am

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.  

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 9, 2013 at 6:07am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 6:12am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on August 9, 2013 at 6:16am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Rich S on August 9, 2013 at 6:32am

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.  

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Permalink Reply by Jay Stanton Goldstein on August 10, 2013 at 1:58pm

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...

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