Cyclists urged to report crimes as thefts rise 55%

Gardaí in Cork City are concerned about a spike in bicycle thefts, many of which people don’t bother to report even though some can be worth up to €1,500.

Figures released by gardaí show there was a 55% rise in the number of bicycles stolen in the city between last July and September, compared to the same period last year.

Over that three-month period last year, 49 bicycles were stolen. In the last three months of this year it jumped to 76.

Sgt Tony Davis, who is in charge of crime prevention in the city, said people were very lax about securing their bicycles and they were obviously a source of cash for thieves. He said most of the bicycles were stolen around the UCC area.

“The last figures we have available show that 15 bicycles were taken between Oct 1 and 8. On average, they were worth €350 each, and in five cases the locks were cut,” he said.

Analysis shows that on average, only 25% of people put a security lock on their bicycles. Many of the rest use an inadequate lock.

“It’s a huge issue for us. We currently have 80 bicycles which we have recovered and we have put pictures of them up on the Garda website in the hope their owners can identify them and reclaim them,” Sgt Davis said.

Gardaí are obliged to keep the bicycles for a year and if they’re not reclaimed, they are auctioned off and the proceeds go to the State.

Sgt Davis said people are lax about their bicycles. “They should always take a picture of them and log their security numbers.

“They should also report to us when they are stolen and provide us with the details, so if we recover the bicycle we can return it to the owner,” he said.

Gardaí will be holding an open day at Blackrock Garda Station shortly where they will display a number of recovered bicycles. The date is to be confirmed.

“People who have had a bicycle stolen in Cork should log onto www.garda.ie where they will see pictures of them,” Sgt Davis said.