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Crime & Safety

Annual Summer Bike Thefts Strike Again

A recent string of bike thefts around the train station has led to an investigation and to talk about how safe it is to leave a bike around Western Springs.

In recent weeks, a hit Western Springs. As police work to bring the perpetrators to justice, local residents seek ways to protect their own property.

“We’re confident that one person was responsible for recent thefts at the train station,” said Deputy Chief Brian Budds of the Western Springs Police Department. “We’re confident that it will result in an arrest in the near future.”

The police have a planned approach to theft, because this is . According to Budds, the police department deals with at least 20 cases of stolen bicycles per year.

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These numbers are consistent with surrounding suburbs that are affluent enough to contain a large bicycling population. The presence of parks, schools, train stations, and other traditional havens for bicycles foster these crimes.

Bicycles specifically are targeted because they are very easy to sell whole or in parts. In addition to being sold at flea markets or on the street, they can be sold over the Internet.

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This latest case of stolen bicycles is causing concern because the thief made off with bicycles that were properly secured with locks that were cut during the thefts.

Scott Enke, a store manager at Village True Value Hardware, recently noticed an increase in the number of lock sales. “There have been articles in the paper, so I think that the last week or two people have been coming in looking for bike locks," Enke said. "They’re giving it a second thought."

Police identified locations and times that thefts are likely to occur and are working to protect residents’ bicycles.

“From a police standpoint we know where the target areas for bike thefts are, especially during summer months, so just during the regular patrol we will cruise by the bike racks and ourselves look for suspicious people and hopefully deter just by police presence,” said Officer Danielle Stevens of the police department’s Crime Prevention Unit.

The police department also has a non-emergency number, (708) 246-8540, where residents are encouraged to report similar suspicious behavior. “We have every right to stop and talk to someone, especially if there’s been recent bike theft,” Stevens said.

Much of the police department’s crime prevention efforts focus on educating individuals about how to keep their own property safe. There are three main ways to protect bicycles: register the bicycle, secure it to a bicycle rack in a public place, and lock it with a sturdy lock.

For $5, residents can register their bicycles with the police department. Stevens said, “If your bike is ever lost or stolen, it makes it very easy for us to file a police report because we already have the information that’s required for a complete bicycle theft report.”

A sticker is also provided when the bicycle is registered, proving the registration is from Western Springs in case a different police department locates it.

If used bicycles have the serial number scratched off, Stevens said that a driver’s license number can be etched into the frame so a driver’s license can be shown as a type of proof of ownership if the bicycle is found.  She also suggested keeping the purchase receipts because they contain the serial number.

When leaving a bicycle, it is best to put it on a bicycle rack.  Stevens said, “We recommend that when you secure your bike, it’s to one of these racks that are in very public areas where there’s a lot of foot traffic.”

As for the lock, a cable lock works if it is intertwined among the spokes, but Enke suggested a U-lock. “That big horseshoe style is probably the best because it comes from behind the tire and locks the tire and the frame to the bike rack,” he said.

Many commuters still ride bicycles to the train station before taking the train into Chicago for work. Michael Mullen is one such Western Springs resident, and he had his own reaction to the recent thefts and his own defense against them.

“This bike’s 40 years old so I’m not too concerned if it’s lifted, but I haven’t changed my pattern,” he said.

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