Gulfport Police Recover Another Stolen Bike

Gulfport Police officers spotted three "suspicious" juveniles near 25th Ave S. and Beach Blvd. Monday night.

According to the Gulfport Police Department's Facebook page, a plain clothed detective stopped one of the juveniles for not having a light on the bike, "which is required for riding a bike after sunset."

"The other two juveniles split from their friend and were not able to be located," according to the post.

According to police, a victim reported a bike theft to officials during the course of the stop. Officers found the bike the juvenile was riding matched the description of the reported stolen bike. The victim came to the scene and identified the bike.

Police say the juvenile will be charged with petit theft and violation of probation. Due to the juvenile's age, his name will not be released.

This is the second bike theft arrest that Gulfport Police posted on Facebook within the past week.

According to today's post, "Police continue to urge residents to secure their bicycles whenever they are not in use. Bikes can also be registered with the Gulfport Police Department. The registration of bicycles can aid in identification if they are stolen." 

In a previous Patch article, Michelle Bushoven, sales manager at ABC Bicycles at 6633 Central Ave. in St Petersburg, shared tips on how to protect your bike.

“The toughest lock you are going to get is a U-Lock,” Bushoven said. “There are very large chains also available. A lot of U-Lock manufacturers have antitheft clauses, should you choose to sign up with them.”

“They really back up their products,” she added.

U-Locks are affordable protection and can vary from $20 to more than $100, depending on shackle length and strength. 

“The more you lock it up and the more it’s locked up tight,” Bushoven said, “it tends to make people go the other way, if it’s difficult to get in to it,” she told Patch.

For more information about the bike registration program for the City of Gulfport, call (727) 893-1000 or contact www.mygulfport.us. The Gulfport Police Department is located at 2401 53rd St. South.