Bike Thieves: How Forest Hills Residents Can Curb Thefts

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — In an effort to curb bike theft, NYPD Precinct 112 has released a list of prevention tips for residents in Forest Hills and surrounding neighborhoods to consider in the event that a bike must be left outdoors.

Bike racks and street signs

Precinct 112 suggests that cyclists alternate bike racks. Locking up a bike to the same rack or street sign day after day creates a pattern for potential thieves.

Police recommend locking a bike through its frame and both wheels to an approved bicycle parking rack, preferably one with a thick frame. Those who lock only the front wheel of the bike might return to find the bike gone and only the one wheel remaining, police say.

Cyclists should leave their bikes in a visible, well-lit area and, if possible, avoid leaving their bike locked overnight. Metal posts of no-parking and stop signs are difficult to steal from, using the pipe method, due to the signs’ flexibility. Locking the bike around the post itself, as opposed to through the post’s holes, allows potential thieves to lift the bike over the sign.

Be vigilant

Vigilance is key, police say. According to Precinct 112, current tools of the bike theft trade include lengths of pipe or wood, bolt-cutting clippers and Vise-Grip pliers.

Register the bike

Cyclists can register their bikes through the NYPD’s Bicycle Prevention Program, which is intended to discourage theft of bicycles by engraving a serial number on the bike in a discreet location and affixing a decal to the bike, identifying it as registered with the NYPD.

In the event that the decal fails to prevent theft, police say that removal of the decal leaves behind the word “void,” which alerts police that the bike has been stolen.

Police are then able to track down the owner of the bike through the engraved serial number.

Report the theft

Police encourage cyclists to contact their local precinct’s crime prevention officer to report bike thefts. The crime prevention hotline for Precinct 112 is (718) 520-9319.

Image via Pixabay