Crime Prevention Message – Bicycle Theft

On this month’s Crimecall, Sergeant John Fitzpatrick was in studio offering prevention advice to the public in relation to Bicycle Theft.

Theft of bicycles decreased slightly in 2023 with 4492 incidents of Theft reported for the year in comparison to 4737 reported incidents in 2022. The 2024 year to date figures of 1397 reported incidents are largely in line with figures reported in comparison to 2023 figures for the same period.

Unauthorised Taking/Theft of Pedal Cycles occur most frequently during daytime hours (12pm – 9pm) 26% of incidents reported occurred between 3pm and 6pm.
Between 2019 and 2023 an average of 4890 bikes were reported stolen per year.
There were 301 incidents of bicycles recovered in 2023, with 72 recovered incidents in 2024 YTD.
Spikes in bike theft are traditionally observed over the summer period (May to August)

Locking your bike:

There are a number of different types of locks available that you can use. When choosing a lock, you should consider how much your bicycle is worth, where you will leave it, how long it will be left unattended and the strength and weight of the lock.

Most bicycles are locked using the following means:

D locks / U locks – are rigid steel locks in a D or a U shape. They are generally heavy and strong, though the strength can vary and is normally reflected in the price.
Cable locks – are flexible and can be used in many situations, and they can vary significantly in both weight and strength.
Chains and Padlocks – will also vary in both weight and strength. Good quality hardened chains and padlocks do offer good security.
Click locks – are not very common. They are generally fixed to the frame over the rear wheel, under and close to your seat. They lock your wheel to the frame, thereby stopping someone from simply riding away.

General bicycle safety advice:

Some simple but effective bicycle theft prevention advice is outlined as follows:

Always lock your bike, even if you are leaving it for a brief moment.
Lock your bike to an immovable object e.g. a lamppost or metal railing.
Lock your frame and wheels if at all possible.
Where bicycles parks are available, use them.
Take all accessories and easily removable objects with you.
Do not leave / park your bike in isolated, dark or dimly lit places.
Try not to leave / lock your bike in the same place every day.
Take at least one distinguishing coloured photograph of your bicycle.
Keep a written record of the make, model, and frame number of the bike and any unique features that the bike may have e.g. extra fittings, attachments, markings etc. Remember to also update as the bike gets older – it is unlikely that it will still be in pristine condition and will more likely have dents and scratches.

All these items act as a deterrent and can make your vehicle less attractive to a thief.

Garda Property App:

This is a free app developed by An Garda Síochána to allow you to record and index your property, for example, bicycles, laptops, etc.

It will give you the facility to record the unique information associated with your property. Should your items be stolen, the app also provides a way of reporting this to An Garda Síochána and gives you the option to share information with us for this purpose.

You can record the make, model, serial number, colour, etc. relating to your property in addition to any unique features on equipment / property. You can also save photographs of your property.

In addition to the above information, you should consider marking your property with a uniquely identifiable brand in both obvious and secret locations and upload this data to the property app.

Your data will remain private until you wish to share it with An Garda Síochána. The app is available to download for free from the Apple Store and Android Play.

https://www.garda.ie/en/angardasiochanaapp/