Metra Bike Theft Ring Targeted

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Permalink Reply by milesperhour on September 3, 2010 at 9:46pm

thanks for sharing. someone from another board i post on got his bike stolen from the HP metra station last week. not that he'll get his bike back, but maybe it will make him feel a little better.

I'm quit impressed that the Lake Forest police installed a camera AND actually watched it. The suburbs has its benefits.

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Permalink Reply by A.K.A Paul on September 3, 2010 at 9:57pm

The man told police that his black Gary Fisher Tarpon mountain bike was taken between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on June 18, according to a police report.

He said his bicycle lock was cut and his bicycle was missing from the rack where he’d locked it, police said.

The man bought a new bicycle from Deerfield Cyclery for $420 that weekend to replace his stolen bicycle, police said.

On June 21, he reported that his new bicycle was stolen between 8:40 a.m. and noon at the same location. He said the lock and bicycle were missing from the rack where his other bicycle was stolen, police said.

So that really sucks to have two bike stolen in three days.

Seeing that guy's mug shot makes me want to take a nail gun to his face.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Hazard on September 4, 2010 at 12:09am

What is not mentioned is what type of locks were cut. Alot of people at suburban Metra stops use cable locks. The one victim said they cut a steel lock. Cables are steel. I can tell you that it is a bitch to cut a U-lock with bolt cutters small enough to fit into even a large backpack, and it can take 20+min.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 4, 2010 at 12:24am

Evanston and Wilmette police have both had success solving similar repeat Metra thefts in the last year. Way too tired to search for those stories.
I started a thread last week in the bike theft group entitled "Chicagoland bike theft in the media" -- would very very very much appreciate some help keeping it updated when stories like this appear so we can refer back to them.
http://www.thechainlink.org/group/chainlinkbikethefttaskforce

Lots of U-locks being cut at Metra stops, unfortunately.
I saw a Tarpon at Swap-O-Rama last weekend . . . who knows.
mph, we never received a report of a Highland Park Metra Station theft to the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry-- can you ask your message board campadré to place one?
http://stolenbike.org

Martin Hazard said:

What is not mentioned is what type of locks were cut. Alot of people at suburban Metra stops use cable locks. The one victim said they cut a steel lock. Cables are steel. I can tell you that it is a bitch to cut a U-lock with bolt cutters small enough to fit into even a large backpack, and it can take 20+min.

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Permalink Reply by Carl on September 4, 2010 at 2:13pm

And they were doing this in broad day, not wee hours of night....

One of my students dug up this video showing what observers do to protect your bike from thieves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7zb8YXrmIA
The answer being - NOTHING.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on September 4, 2010 at 4:26pm

For a local example-- check out the woman in the red and green walking by a bike thief on Michigan Avenue, sparks-a-flyin':
http://www.thechainlink.org/group/chainlinkbikethefttaskforce/forum...

Not saying that NYC doesn't, but we have our share of local "heroes" too-- remember Sara Jean's busting the thieves at Chicago and Damen; Cara's witness who followed the thief and got a photo of the plate, the guy that saw someone stealing multiple bikes at the Irving or Addison Blue Line station and tried to help. Unfortunately there was not much any of them could do without a police response.

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