The Bloomingtonian checked in with the Bloomington Police Department on Thursday regarding the dozens of bicycles stolen in the city over the summer.
Pedigo reported that since August 1, 2023, a total of 51 bicycles have been reported stolen to the Bloomington Police Department. Of these 51 bicycles, only six have been recovered.
Daily police summaries indicate that an additional seven bicycles have been stolen since September 27, 2023, bringing the total stolen since August 1 to at least 58.
Pedigo offered the following advice:
“The best advice for those parking bicycles, even if they are left on porches, in garages, etc., is to ensure that they are locked to something secure with a u-lock style bike lock. The u-lock should pass through both the front tire of the bicycle as well as the frame, so that thieves can’t simply remove the front tire and leave it behind while stealing the frame and rear tire. It’s best to choose well-lit areas if possible, and to install motion lights on porches and garages to illuminate the area if someone approaches. Bicycle owners should be sure to record the serial number of their bicycle and keep it somewhere secure so that the bicycle can be entered into the nationwide database as stolen if someone were to take it. Furthermore, if an owner puts any sort of sticker or aftermarket accessory on the bicycle, they should make a note of that as well to potentially assist in identifying the bicycle at a later time.”
Here are some of the bicycles stolen in the past week:
Bicycles stolen – September 28, 2023:
A thief cut the lock on a bike and stole it from a 31-year-old woman in the 400 block of West Kirkwood Avenue. Later in the day, a locked bicycle had its lock cut and was stolen from a 19-year-old man in the 500 block of North Lincoln.
E-bikes stolen – September 29, 2023:
A 75-year-old man reported that two e-bikes were stolen from his driveway in the 100 block of North Glenwood Avenue West.
Electric trike stolen – October 1, 2023:
A 22-year-old woman reported that someone stole her electric trike and lock in the 300 block of East Third Street.
Bicycle theft – October 2, 2023:
A 34-year-old man reported that someone cut the lock off his bicycle and stole it from outside his residence in the 500 block of North Prow Avenue.
Bicycle theft – October 3, 2023:
A 48-year-old woman reported that someone cut her bicycle lock and stole her bicycle from a rack at the Monroe County Public Library.
Additionally, thieves have been stealing motorcycles. However, according to Pedigo, the police have been more successful in recovering them. Since August 1, 2023, nine motorcycles have been stolen, but five have been recovered, and four are still active cases.
Regarding the recovery of missing bicycles, Pedigo strongly encourages owners to record their serial numbers because without that information, it’s difficult to prove, if found, that a bicycle is stolen.
