By Ninjarita
Grease Rag Friend Ninjarita O’Brien is one of the admins of the Facebook group, Twin Cities Stolen Bikes, and has done a great job documenting how to hang onto your bike, be able to identify your bike if it is stolen, and provide information on how to find your bike and reunite found bikes.
You can download these images here.
Keeping your bike secure
Here are some general tips on securing your bicycle:
- Use a u-lock and another type of lock
- Lock up in well-lit, well-trafficked areas
- Lock your wheels and frame to something immoveable that your bike can’t be lifted off of, like a sign pole without a sign on top
- At minimum lock your frame
- Store your bike indoors in a secure location as much as possible
- Make sure your mobile apps (Strava, MapMyRide, etc.) are not broadcasting your current location
- Watch a video on locking techniques
- Secure your bike to something immoveable even when it is in your garage or shed
- Use locking skewers on your wheels
- More tips from the Minneapolis PD: Preventing bicycle theft
Identifying your bike
Try these techniques to provide enough information if your bike is stolen, and to help other people spot it if it is riding around town without you.
- Store this data someplace where it can’t be easily deleted
- Take a picture of you and your bike periodically, showing the drive train side of the bike
- Write down the serial number on your bike, often under the bottom bracket shell
- Register your bike with bikeindex.org
- You can register your bicycle with the Minneapolis Police Department online, or call 311, or use 311’s phone app.
- Make a list of how to ID your bike, from color to brand to parts and any other details
What to do when your bike is stolen
From the Minneapolis PD website:
Be sure to report your lost or stolen bicycle with the Minneapolis Police Department. A lost or stolen bicycle report may be made by calling Mpls 311 or going to your respective precinct to make your report (reports may not be made by phone to your precinct).
Be sure to include in your report details about color, make, model, bicycle serial number, registration number, and other unique identifiers. These details not only aid in the identification and recovery of lost or stolen bicycles and return to their rightful owners, they assist investigators with developing useful suspect information.
You can visit the Minneapolis Police website for more information on the process. Obtain a copy of the police report & keep it on you.
Report stolen bicycles where appropriate
- Minneapolis Police Property Crimes 612-673-5715
- U of MN Police Dept. Sergeant Pete Reineke 612-624-8098
- Go to your precinct
- Call Mpls 311 (Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
After notifying the police, search the internet and post on social media. NEVER POST YOUR SERIAL NUMBER ANYWHERE PUBLIC!
Post on Twin Cities Stolen Bikes on Facebook
Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwinCitiesStolenBikes/, where bikes have been known to resurface.
- Post, “My bike was stolen.”
- Include a photo with descriptions that name bike brand, color, where and when it was stolen, any customizations
- If you have updated the bike with a new saddle, pedals or anything else make note of it so people can tell if they have truly located your bike
- Type in a lot of descriptive words, because they need to be searchable in the group if a bike is found!
- Hope for the best
Also, search the group using the search feature at the top of the page for key words that match your bike!
Other places to search, and post.
When posting, follow the same guidelines as above!
- http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/
- https://offerupnow.com
- https://instagram.com/bikeindex/
- http://www.localbiketrader.com/
- Pawn Shops
What to do if you find a bike
If you have a stolen bike in your possession
- Contact Property & Evidence Unit (612) 673-2932
- Or e-mail a description of your item to police@minneapolismn.gov
- Visit the Minneapolis Police Stolen Bike info page
Try to find the owner with Twin Cities Stolen Bikes on Facebook
Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/TwinCitiesStolenBikes/
- Take a photo of the suspect bike- Make sure you get the whole bike in the picture and the photo is clear
- Search the Twin Cities Stolen Bikes group using the search feature at the top of the page: bike brand + bike color
- If you find a matching “stolen” post, contact the owner! (Private message them, and if you share Facebook friends with them, have your mutual friends also message them.)
- If you do not find a matching “stolen” post, post a photo to the “found” album, including a wordy description, bike brand, and bike color
Please keep the abandoned bikes off the “Stolen” news feed.
Other places to search, and post.
When posting, follow the same guidelines as above!
- http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/
- https://offerupnow.com
- https://instagram.com/bikeindex/
- http://www.localbiketrader.com/
Found a STOLEN bike listed elsewhere online for sale?
- Take a screen capture of the entire posting. These posts sometimes “disappear” and are flagged for removal, which makes them really difficult to find
- Contact the person who posted the bike was stolen from them
- Send the info to the Police