User manual | bicycle theft prevention - San Diego County Sheriff`s Department

LOCKING HARDWARE
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Case hardened U-Locks- Well
known for greatest security. High
quality steel alloy locks are best.
Flat key U-locks are suggested to
prevent locks from being picked.
Padlocks and Chains- Look for antitheft security chains, the thicker the
better. Chain links and lock clasps
should be at least 3/8 of an inch
thick. Locks and chains that are case
hardened use a process that makes
them more difficult to cut.
PARKING AND LOCKING
BASICS
The first rule: Always lock it. Never,
leave your bicycle unlocked--even for a
minute. A thief can steal your bicycle in
seconds.
Security: Lock your bicycle to something
that is permanent and difficult for a thief
to take. Secure the bicycle to a bicycle
rack, or a “legal” immovable object. Do
not lock to another bicycle, a door
handle, or small tree. If you keep your
bicycle in a garage, basement, or on a
porch, lock it.
BICYCLE THEFT
PREVENTION
Visibility: Park in open areas where
several people pass by and your bicycle
can be seen easily. Thieves usually don't
like an audience.
Keep It Close By: When possible, park
your bicycle as near to your location as
possible. Thieves like to steal bicycles
whose owners are away from the area.
Read parking signs for restrictions.
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Cables- Some cables are actually
harder to cut than chains because
they do not snap and thieves cannot
pry them open. Use a cable that is at
least 3/8 of an inch thick with a lock
that is as thick, or thicker.
No overnight public parking if you can
avoid it.
At night, always park in well-lit areas.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Crime Prevention Unit
Revised 09/16
THEFT PREVENTION
HOW TO LOCK IT UP
A thief with enough time and the right
tools can break any lock. The majorities
of stolen bicycles were locked with a
cable or chain, or were not locked at all.
USE
your
U-LOCKS,
CHAINS,
CABLES, AND PADLOCKS. Of course
this sounds like a no-brainer, but there
are countless people who have lost their
bicycles because they left them unlocked
"just for a minute". Even If you keep
your bicycle in a garage, basement or on
a porch, LOCK IT UP. Remember, an
unsecured bicycle poses a greater risk of
theft than the value of the bicycle.
•
Purchase quality, high security, case
hardened U-locks that have proven to
be more secure.
•
Use higher quality steel alloy locks;
they are worth the expense to prevent
theft.
•
If the lock manufacturer offers a
warranty or insurance, register the
lock and record your serial number
and the date of purchase with them.
•
Record and retain the model and
serial number along with the receipt
and purchase date of your bicycle.
•
Engrave identifying marks in several
places, or apply an "Owner Applied
Numbers (OAN) that can be
engraved onto any surface. Call any
Sheriff's Station for more information.
•
Place a card with your name and
telephone number on it inside the
bicycle handlebar tube to prove
ownership.
•
Take close-up pictures of your bicycle
for your files.
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Parts attached with a quick-release
mechanism, should be locked to the
frame and the rack.
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Participate in bicycle registries if you
want to record your identification or
search to recover your stolen bicycle.
LOCK THE WHOLE BICYCLE. Put the
U-lock through the frame, not just
through a wheel. Put the lock through
BOTH the frame and the front wheel and
LOCK it to a permanent object. If you
lock just the wheel, a thief will simply
remove the wheel and walk away with
the frame. For extra protection, use two
locks, one through each wheel.
Placing the Lock: Thieves may break a
lock by pinning it against a wall or
sidewalk and smashing it with a hammer.
If you use a padlock, place it away from
the ground or solid surface-leaving little
or no slack in your cable or chain. When
using a U-lock, leave little or no space in
the lock's middle to prevent prying.
Use caution when securing bicycles
to bicycle racks. Some racks are
constructed with simple nuts and bolts
on the ends. If you park your bicycle on
the end of one of these racks, a thief
could disassemble the end of the rack
with a wrench, and slide your bicycle off
it. Check to make sure that the part of
the rack you are locking to is solid and
not broken at the top or bottom.
RECOVERING A
STOLEN BICYCLE
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Call law enforcement to file a report.
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Notify local bicycle shops that buy
and sell used bicycles of the theft.
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Advise pawn shops in your area that
your bicycle has been stolen. Give
them a photo and registration number
if you have one.
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Check local swap meets and report to
law enforcement if found. DO NOT
accuse or confront the peddler.
YOUR SAFETY IS IMPORTANT!
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Search ID and recovery databases.
STATISTICS
Difficult to measure. Bicycle theft data
is grouped together and reported under
larceny, petty theft, and property theft.
Larceny/theft makes up nearly 60% of all
crime committed in America, making it
the largest crime category.
Data is missing. Bicycle theft is so
common that many people do not report
the crime.
The National Bike Registry (NBR)
estimates that 1 million bicycles are
stolen every year worth approximately
$252 million dollars.

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