Bike thefts in Delaware/Whitehall neighborhoods
Jason emails:
There appears to have been a string of bicycle thefts over the weekend in the Whitehall/Delaware neighborhood in Albany. My bicycle was stolen out of my open garage while I was home on Sunday in broad daylight (between 6:30-7:30PM). The officer who came and took the incident report said he had just come from another home where two bicycles were stolen out of an open garage. I went on Craigslist this morning to look to see if my bike was on there and found that five bikes were stolen on Delaware Ave on Sunday around 12:30PM off of a porch (a few blocks away - I live on Whitehall).
It's a serious drag to think that you might have to lock up your bike in your own garage.
The Albany police department has a bike registration program aimed at making it easier to recover stolen bikes. If you call 438-4000, you'll be directed to a number for more info (it varies by your location). There's also a "National Bike Registry" that says it includes the Troy, Colonie and Rensselaer police departments, as well as UAlbany and RPI security. We don't know much about this service -- and it costs $10 -- so caveat bike rider.
Another option: ride a tall, pink bike.
(That's Jason's bike in the photo -- click for a better view.)
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Comments
I've had 2 bikes stolen from me in downtown Albany over the years. In both instances they were in the back of my station wagon and the car windows were smashed to get at the bike. In the second instance I actually got the bike back because Eric at the Downtube (who sold me the bike) recognized it when a local kid brought it in to have the tire fixed. They confiscated the bike and gave it back to me.
It's unrealistic to leave a bike unlocked in your garage (open or closed). In my upper New Scotland neighborhood a kid's bike was taken off a porch last year. I now lock no matter what, even if it's just for a minute or two.
... said chrisck on Jul 22, 2010 at 5:34 PM | link
I agree with chrisck... We live in the city.
I left a shovel out briefly on my porch during a snowstorm, guess what was stolen?
Lock up your stuff! Especially things that are easy to grab and go. My grill, when it was nicer, was even locked up. Now I would be happy if someone rolled it out of my yard.
... said Lola on Jul 22, 2010 at 5:54 PM | link
This was bad two years ago. People's bikes were being stolen out of their basements. Sad to see it coming back.
Lock your bikes. Even in the garage/basement. Do not leave your garage open if you are not standing right there.
So far bike thieves in Albany seem to be lazy. They seem to want something they can just pick up and walk/ride away with. Anything you can do to make that take more than 60 seconds is worth doing.
Good luck, and pedal on.
... said ethan on Jul 23, 2010 at 8:42 AM | link
Last yr at the coner of Hudson and Willett,
thieves went to the trouble of removing the nuts and bolts on three signs, then lifting my bike over the top of the post, hardcore lock still in place...
The police came to take my report on a horse.
... said MattW on Jul 23, 2010 at 9:22 AM | link
@MattW - Wow... I stand corrected.
... said ethan on Jul 23, 2010 at 10:03 AM | link
We've lost 2 bicycles (actually 4, but 2 were recovered) from our front porch/yard. The first one, the thieves actually cut the wrought iron railing on our porch to remove the bike. Most recently, a "beater" of a bike was stolen from the side of our house and a neighbor followed the thief to his house, while on the phone with the police. I have been driving down the bike thief's block regularly and it is a struggle to not knock on the door and confront the kid. I despise bike thieves.
... said slilly on Jul 23, 2010 at 11:19 AM | link
Middle school kids went inside my enclosed back porch in a suburban neighborhood, took my brand new (yes, unlocked) bike, rode it down to the schoolyard and proceeded to beat it to death for lack of anything else to do.
That was in 1970, so not much has changed.
... said CJ on Jul 23, 2010 at 4:42 PM | link
@slilly - well from what I read in the papers - beating up bicycles is not what kids do in the suburbs anymore -
... said stella on Jul 23, 2010 at 8:40 PM | link