Keeping Bicycles Safe from Theft
I remember sitting at the desk in my former home office which had a big window looking out on to the street. Two teenage boys came by, one on a bike and one on foot. The next thing I saw, the boy on foot was now on a bike (my bike!) and riding down my driveway. I ran out of the house and jumped in to the car and chased them down. I stopped the one on my bike a few blocks away, got my bike back and called the Constable. His friend kept on going and it was then that I realized he was on a girls’ bike. So, safe to assume it didn’t belong to him either.
The Facts
According to the FBI, almost 156,000 bicycles were reported stolen in the United States last year. There are likely thousands more that were not reported at all. While many bike thefts are just crimes of opportunity used to joy ride or for the thief’s personal use, sometimes there is a more complex crime going on.
Earlier this year in Houston, a bike theft ring was discovered with $20,000 in stolen bikes stored at a residence. The thieves were trying to sell the bikes on various online sales platforms and social media.
So what is the best way to keep your bike from being one of these statistics?
Keeping your Bike Safe
- Lock it up – this is true whether you are at home, school, the park, a store or anywhere in between. Even if you are just running in for a minute, always lock the bike. Make sure you have a good strong lock and that whatever you lock it to is secure.
- Choose wisely – whenever possible, lock your bike up in a high traffic area. The more eyes on it at any given time, the less likely it will be tampered with. Even if it means a little longer walk to where you parked it, look for a busy spot or one with CCTV watching.
- Put it away – kids especially find their bikes go missing when they leave them on the side of the house or in the neighbor’s yard or by the curb at a friend’s house. Even though you feel like it is safe in the neighborhood, the truth is – it probably is not. Bring into the back yard or garage or see above (lock it up!).
- Restrict access – as the story above shows, even having the bike “safely” in the garage doesn’t mean it is protected from thieves. Be sure the overhead garage door is closed and that the pedestrian door is locked. Bikes have been known to go missing while someone left the garage open for a minute to bring in groceries! While a second floor balcony may feel like a safe place to store a bike, thieves on a mission have gained access and gotten away with the goods.
- Keep a Record – be sure you have the serial number for your bike saved somewhere in case it does go missing or gets stolen. When the police found all the bicycles in May, they required proof of ownership before they could be returned. Take a picture of the bike and the serial number and email it to yourself for safe keeping.
What to do if your Bike is Stolen
- Call the police and report it. They will want to know that you have the serial number. Otherwise there will be no way to confirm it is really yours if found.
- If it happend at your house or in the neighborhood, see if anyone has CCTV footage of the crime.
- Check pawn shops, craigslist and other online marketplace sites and search for a bike like yours. Do not act on it if you find something. Share the information with the police.
We Can Help
Cultris Security Systems has solutions to help. Add door sensors to your garage overhead door and pedestrian door to set off the alarm if someone enters them when you aren’t home. You can also add video surveillance to deter thieves from coming on your property. Call us at 281-506-8466 or visit us online.
