Stolen Bikes Thread - Mod Note please read post #1 before posting

Spring

Stolen: Specialized Sirrus Expert (white)

my bike was stolen from Gilford Road Sandymount two weeks ago. white with carbon front forks and carbon seat stays (black), full 105, needs a good cleaning but in v good original condition. If anyone is offered a bike like this, or hears of someone offered a bike like this please do let me know - i will recognise and identify it. Cost EUR1,000 on bike to work scheme - reward offered ...

Thanks for any help, or links.

yosser hughes

stetyrrell wrote: »

Between wage cuts and stations being closed/reduced hours, the Gardai don't have the man power to deal with smaller crimes like bike theft.

.

Surveyor11 wrote: »

Agreed, but I have to sy I was a bit underwhelmed when I reported my stolen bike to the guards in Blanchardstown. The report was taken on a scrap of paper that the guard tore off a piece of paper that was hanging around the desk, that sort of said it for me.:(

Which is it then? city centre garda stations have not been closed. there should be MORe garda on the beat anyway because of station closures.
You say one thing but then what you describe as your personal experience is just unprofessional.
cuts have nothing to do with it. we have one of the best paid police forces in the world.

eladnova

Had a bike stolen (Black Giant) from Luas stop at Stephen's Green last week. Really gutted. Broad daylight too.

We reported it to Pearse St station who were very helpful and gave us a Crime Reference Number from PULSE etc but I'm not holding out for seeing it again.
They said they'd check CCTV but these guys "normally have their hoods up".

The thing is, until this happened to us, I was convinced it happened maybe occasionally. A casual browse around the forums and this stolen bike lark seems to be a major organised crime affecting people every day. And they're just the ones that popup on forums.

People like you and me who are just trying to get to work and do a hard days slog are being robbed by scumbags who do this for a "living".

Qualitymark

eladnova wrote: »

People like you and me who are just trying to get to work and do a hard days slog are being robbed by scumbags who do this for a "living".

And as long as it's a lucrative living, the robberies will continue. Very sorry for your loss.

grodge

Hi everyone,

I had a bike stolen from South King Street (where the Gaiety Theatre is) in Dublin on Friday. I want to post this to make people extra aware of how brazen bike thieves are.

The thief was spotted by a store owner cutting the lock with an angle grinder. By her accounts it took about 20 seconds to cut the lock off and cycle off. The lock was a Gold rated ABUS lock and it was around the wheel and frame of the bike.

It happened at 3.25pm and the street was really busy. The bike was locked up on a row or stands with about 10 other bikes. Beware where you lock your bike and try to keep it in sight of where you are. I was in the St. Stephens Green shopping centre for 20 mins and it was gone when I got back!

The Gardai were very helpful and came and took a statement. They said they are getting at least 3 reports a day from theft in the City.

I'm going to post a picture of the bike as well, if you notice it on any ad's online can you let me know so I can call the Gardai. (Raleigh SF 3.0)

Thanks and be safe

Planet X

Sorry to hear that.

.......so......two Gold standard U locks about 40 seconds then....
What's the point?

grodge

I spoke to some guys in a used bike yard on capel street. They said that <snip> cut two locks an stole two bikes from the stands opposite Cineworld on Parnell st Dublin. Used an angle grinder.

Someone approached him and he said that he worked for Dublin City Council and was removing bikes. Wheeled them into an old white van parked across the road.

It's the same description and method as the thief that stole my bike. He was spotted by a shop owner who seen him cut the lock and cycle away, <snip>.

I emailed this to the Garda that I met yesterday so hopefully it will be taken seriously as this guy is going around town in broad daylight stealing thousands of euro with of bikes.

Spread the word about this person. If he's not caught more bikes WILL be stolen. Thanks

Beasty

Description of individual removed - that's for the Guards to publicise if they consider appropriate - do not post details on Boards

exister78

Hi everyone,
I've just had my bike stolen from leeson street. It's a black Viking Fixie with distinctive white saddle and white rims on the tyres...just like the pic below.

It seems to be an awful problem in Dublin at the moment...this is not my 1st stolen bike and probably won't be the last, many friends have had the same trouble...seems even busy places during the day aren't even safe.

Anyway if anyone can help in any way...sees it for sale etc...please let me know...would love to get it back.

Qualitymark

grodge wrote: »

I spoke to some guys in a used bike yard on capel street. They said that <snip> cut two locks an stole two bikes from the stands opposite Cineworld on Parnell st Dublin. Used an angle grinder.

Someone approached him and he said that he worked for Dublin City Council and was removing bikes. Wheeled them into an old white van parked across the road.

The obvious answer to that is "You won't mind my taking your photo, then? **Snap** - if we ever get together to fight bike theft, one strategy could be to put up posters in known bike theft places: "If you see a bike thief, take his picture", and set up a garda text number, if they'd do it, to which people could text the pictures.

magicbastarder

i was waiting for a bus in phibsboro once and witnessed an amusing arrest, where a bike thief swore blind to a garda it was his bike he was trying to release, but the garda manouevred them to make sure they couldn't see the bike (without them realising what the garda was doing), and then asked 'what colour is your bike?'
'ehh... blue?'
immediate arrest.

MrScootch

eladnova wrote: »

The thing is, until this happened to us, I was convinced it happened maybe occasionally. A casual browse around the forums and this stolen bike lark seems to be a major organised crime affecting people every day. And they're just the ones that popup on forums.

People like you and me who are just trying to get to work and do a hard days slog are being robbed by scumbags who do this for a "living".

You are bang on there. I can't find it now but saw a news clip on youTube where one guy was discovered to have a multi-million dollar operation with warehouses all over his city full of stolen bikes, some of them being stripped for parts sold on eBay, rarer models being shipped to other cities etc. I think it was in Vancouver or Toronto.

MrScootch

It's all right folks, the issue has been raised in the Dail. Alan Shatter is on the case...

...he says there's a leaflet we can read. I'll rest easier tonight, let me tell you!

http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.956

Qualitymark

Alan Shatter (Minister, Department of Justice, Equality and Defence; Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
I propose to take Questions Nos. 421 and 422 together.

An Garda Síochána is proactive in encouraging the public to protect their property, including bicycles, and a range of measures are in place to prevent and tackle the theft of bicycles.

A crime prevention information leaflet on bicycle security is available on the Garda website, . The leaflet accentuates the importance of bicycle owners keeping a record of the bicycle frame identification number, colour and any other unique features. Furthermore, in July 2012, An Garda Síochána created a link from the Garda website to YouTube to call attention to a video on bicycle security which had been developed as a joint initiative by An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council. I am also informed that An Garda Síochána is currently rolling out a pilot scheme in a number of Garda locations which allows members of the public to view on-line photographs of recovered property, including bicycles, on the Garda page of the social media site, Flickr.

I have no plans at the present time to introduce legal obligations in this regard over and above the voluntary crime prevention measures which owners of any type of valuable property are encouraged to take to assist in the return of their property should it be recovered following a theft.

I particularly like that last paragraph. Legal obligations on you, the bicycle owner, not on Mr Bike Thief.

conf101

Hi all. My bike was stolen from my apartment complex on Royal Canal Bank in Phibsborough at the weekend. I've attached a photo. It's a second hand bike made from parts from different bikes (not by me) and it's worth only the change in your pocket but I love the thing.

It's identifiable by dodgy gears, a saddle that's torn to shreds and some orange tape around parts of the handlebars.

I know the chances are slim but if anybody comes across it I'd appreciate a heads up.

Thanks

dogsears

Qualitymark wrote: »

I particularly like that last paragraph. Legal obligations on you, the bicycle owner, not on Mr Bike Thief.

To be fair, that part reads to me like the answer to one of the 2 Dail Questions he said he was dealing with together i.e. Does the Minister plan to introduce any legal obligations on bicycle owners to report bike thefts?

i.e. not just an bike thief friendly bit he lobbed in for good measure.

Trent Houseboat

Is theres still no system whereby you can register your bike (make, model, frame no. sales reciept) with an Gardaí?

RunRoryRun

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

Is theres still no system whereby you can register your bike (make, model, frame no. sales reciept) with an Gardaí?

www.bikeregister.ie

Squidgy Black

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

Is theres still no system whereby you can register your bike (make, model, frame no. sales reciept) with an Gardaí?

Unfortunately there's no formal system that you can register the details with the Gardai, unlike our UK counterparts who are always a couple of steps ahead.

Bike theft in London is absolutely ridiculous, it seems to be a case that you can't leave any bike locked for more than an hour or two, even with the most heavy duty locks. They have specialized task forces in the police dedicated to bike theft and everything.

grodge

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

Is there's still no system whereby you can register your bike (make, model, frame no. sales receipt) with an Gardaí?

There are signs up in my apartment complex saying that there is a scheme in Bridewell Gda Stn (local station) to register your bike with them so they have a record of it. There is a website bikeregister.ie, I don't know what level of cooperation they have with Gardai

Trent Houseboat

RunRoryRun wrote: »

www.bikeregister.ie

They don't seem to have anything to do with an Gardaí Síochana, private company who sell alarms and CCTV.

RunRoryRun

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

They don't seem to have anything to do with an Gardaí Síochana, private company who sell alarms and CCTV.

From their website.....

"Should your bicycle be stolen, we will work in partnership with the Gardai to return it to you in the event of recovery."

At the moment it seems it's the best option out there. As long as you keep track of your bike details yourself, you can go into the Garda station in the event of a theft. Even if this site doesn't work, you've lost nothing by registering. It's free and takes 2 mins. At worst, you can use it as a record of your bikes serial number.

Trent Houseboat

RunRoryRun wrote: »

From their website.....

"Should your bicycle be stolen, we will work in partnership with the Gardai to return it to you in the event of recovery."

At the moment it seems it's the best option out there. As long as you keep track of your bike details yourself, you can go into the Garda station in the event of a theft. Even if this site doesn't work, you've lost nothing by registering. It's free and takes 2 mins. At worst, you can use it as a record of your bikes serial number.

I'm not saying there's anything to be lost by registering with them, but I would have thought that an Gardaí would have had their own system by now.

RunRoryRun

Trent Houseboat wrote: »

I'm not saying there's anything to be lost by registering with them, but I would have thought that an Gardaí would have had their own system by now.

You're dead right - they should definitely have something set up themselves. A scheme for tagging bikes and random checkpoints to confirm ownership would shrink the second hand buying of stolen bikes market considerably.

Qualitymark

RunRoryRun wrote: »

You're dead right - they should definitely have something set up themselves. A scheme for tagging bikes and random checkpoints to confirm ownership would shrink the second hand buying of stolen bikes market considerably.

This used to exist in the 1950s; tis well I remember being brought along to my local Garda station at seven to turn my bike upside down and read off the number to the garda keeping the register - and then later being stopped and asked to turn the bike up and show it for checking.

Thargor

Qualitymark wrote: »

This used to exist in the 1950s; tis well I remember being brought along to my local Garda station at seven to turn my bike upside down and read off the number to the garda keeping the register - and then later being stopped and asked to turn the bike up and show it for checking.

Seriously? Thats bizarre, Im only 27 but I remember as kids in Galway nobody locked their bikes, neighbours would just lean them against walls outside the pubs etc or against a streetlight all night, I always thought the Guards were so useless with bike crime because there was never any need for enforcement until recent years, obviously I know there would always have been bad spots.

Thargor

Or are you taking the piss and I walked into it?

Qualitymark

Thargor wrote: »

Seriously? Thats bizarre, Im only 27 but I remember as kids in Galway nobody locked their bikes, neighbours would just lean them against walls outside the pubs etc or against a streetlight all night, I always thought the Guards were so useless with bike crime because there was never any need for enforcement until recent years, obviously I know there would always have been bad spots.

Yeah, Sandycove was rough back in the day

endacl

RunRoryRun wrote: »

You're dead right - they should definitely have something set up themselves. A scheme for tagging bikes and random checkpoints to confirm ownership would shrink the second hand buying of stolen bikes market considerably.

You can register your bike on the Pulse system at either the Bridewell or Donnybrook Garda stations. Actually probably more at this point, but definitely those two. It started with a young guard in the Bridewell who apparently set up an informal register of her own bat, as she was tired of seeing the hundreds recovered of bikes that couldn't be reunited with their owners because those owners couldn't give a better description than 'blue, two wheels, has gears and brakes'.

So, in response to 'the guards don't take bicycle theft seriously', the evidence suggests that in this case, they do. They're stretched. My partner had several grand stolen in temple bar a couple of years ago. The frustration obvious from the guards in Pearce st was plain to see. They only had one car on the road that day, because their budget wouldn't allow them to put fuel in their other vehicles. As an aside, they did manage to catch the pricks subsequently.... My experience of the guards in response to bike thefts is generally positive. From talking to many though, their experience is frustration. From lack of resources, to people whinging about 'nothing being done', when the same people by and large, hadn't even the cop on to take note of their bike's frame number. Apparently that's the bike shop's job these days.

This has been mentioned in-thread, and in other threads. Honestly, before demanding a system should exist, why not first check to make sure it doesn't?!?

joeperry

Matt Cooper discussing it now.