Bike Theft Can Happen to Anyone - Don't Make Your Bike an Easy Target

There are different types of offenders that steal bikes and bike parts. Many bicycle thefts occur by offenders looking for financial gain; however there are other categories regarding their motivation.

• Joyriders - These offenders steal bikes for the pure entertainment and adrenaline rush. The bikes are often abandoned after they are stolen.
• Acquisitive - These offenders sole purpose is for financial gain for cash or trade.
• Bike Theft Ring (Gang) - These are offenders that target an area, and look for bikes that can be easily stolen, and then put into a truck or van.

"Cities allowing bicycle theft to go virtually unpunished, According to Tom Babin from the LA Times. The FBI reported 210,905 bike thefts in the U.S. in 2014, a number that likely severely undercounts the true scope of the problem. An analysis by the Oregonian in Portland found that arrests occurred in just 2% of reported bike thefts in that city. The same study found as few as 70% of thefts are even reported. 

Now Some Cities Are Using Bait Bikes to Catch Criminals

Bike theft is a serious problem in San Francisco. Now the police are using every tool they have, including GPS trackers in bikes, social media and thousands of stickers that ask thieves a question.

Don't Make Your Bike and Easy Target

Offenders can target easy to cut lucks, and in most cases use the stolen bike as a getaway vehicle. Law enforcement officials, busy with other priorities, rarely can commit to sustained campaigns to bust theft rings or even pursue arrests.

This is the first step in helping to prevent your bike from being stolen. Hal Ruzal has a YouTube series, and gives a grade on how well you lock your bike.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

What Else Can I Do?

Register your bike, with your local city, school, or university if they have a program. You can also register your bike nationally with National Bike Registry. There is also new technology such as Tile, the Tile App connects you to the world's largest lost-and-found community, where friends and strangers work together using the Tile app to find everything that matters.

Safe Travels!