Who Is Boosting the Bikes of Brentwood?

It's a crime wave–Brentwood style.

Bike boosters stole four Brentwood bicycles last week according to Sr. Lead Officer Phillip Enbody. 

All the bikes were locked to poles or fences; three of the four were stolen from the same block of South Barrington.

What can you do to keep your bike safe?

Enbody's weekly email has this suggestion:

Please bring your bicycle into your residence or locked garage.

That's good advice for nighttime, but won't help if you ride to work, to the park or to the store (like Brentwood Patch )

Fortunately the anti-bike-theft squad of the Northumbria (UK) police has another idea.  

Watch the video to see what they recommend.

BicycleLA.org offers very similar tips, but without the cool accent:

• Find a place to park your bike in an area frequented by foot traffic to discourage theft and vandalism. For short term parking, try to find a place to park which you can still see from inside of the establishment.
• Plan on using a cable, chain or U-lock. Some bike thieves can find cables and chains relatively easy to cut but in general good quality U-locks are the most difficult to break. In high theft areas plan on using two locking devices (an additional U-lock or an additional lock and cable).
• No lock is totally secure, buy the best you can afford. A lock is still cheaper than purchasing a new bike. Some manufactures make very high-end locks and chains made specifically for high bike theft areas.
• Lock your bike to a fixed object but beware of sign posts as sometimes they come out of the ground and allow thieves to slip the post right out of your lock, cable or chain.
• Be sure to lock both wheels and the frame of the bicycle to a fixed object. Bike thieves are often looking for easy parts to steal such as wheels, seats, etc.
• When using a U-lock, secure the bike frame and wheels in such a manner that you leave as little room as possible which might allow thieves to put a leaver or crowbar in to pry the lock apart.
• Take note of whether or not your seat is secured by a quick release device. A quick release allows for easy seat height adjustment but makes your seat an easy victim for bike thieves. Replace the quick release with a standard nut and bolt or purchase a small cable and lock for your seat.
• Remove items like bags, water bottles, and bike pumps unless you are prepared to lose them.
• If you are planning to leave your bike in very public places (like rail stations) for long periods of time, you might consider buying a "beater" bicycle that is unattractive to bike thieves. Be sure to have any used bicycle checked out by a professional bicycle mechanic for safety.

Here's the crime report: