© Ismo Pekkarinen
Lapland police are urging people to make the work of bicycle thieves more difficult. Police say in a statement that it has received a large number of reports of stolen bicycles throughout the summer, and some have been successfully returned to their owners.
However, according to police, the majority of bicycle thefts remain undetected. The police recommend taking the following types of proactive action on the bike :.
– Before setting off on your bike, be sure to retrieve a photo and frame number. If the wheel has not already been printed with a frame number at the factory, it is advisable to engrave a unique symbol on it. However, you should not use a personal ID.
–Pay attention to the storage of your bike. Do not leave the bike unlocked, even in your own yard. Invest in a decent lock and lock the bike to something somewhere whenever possible. In public places, of course, it’s worth thinking a little about where to leave your bike.
What if your bike is stolen though?
The police also give comprehensive instructions in the event of theft:
1. Report the crime as soon as possible. A professional bike thief works fast, and your valuable bike may end up in a foreign market in just a few days. Don’t think about the value of your bike or whether your insurance company will replace it or not. Hijacking a bike is always a crime, be it the “grandmother’s bike” of a few dozen or the racing bike of thousands of euros. If you don’t report a bike stolen, you’ll probably never get it back, even if it ends up in the hands of the police. So always report a crime.
2. Report the make, model, color, frame number and estimate of the current value of your bicycle in the crime report. After all, the frame number is known to you, the awake cyclist. If the bike has accessories or decorations, it is good to mention them as well. It is a good idea to attach a photo of your bike previously taken to the crime report.
3. Write all possible information about the case on the crime report. Don’t wait to contact the police considering you tell the rest then. When we save ourselves from asking for clarifications, there is more time for the police to investigate the crime itself.
4. Find out for yourself as much as you can. If your bike has been in the Park in front of a mall or other store, contact the guards and inquire about any surveillance cameras. If you can show the guards the exact place where the bike was taken from, it will be easier for them to check the recordings and submit them to the police.
5. Tell others about the theft. It can also be a good idea to report bike theft on social media. The more you know your bike is stolen, the harder it is for a thief to sell it on, especially if it’s a rarer model.
6. Report it to your insurance company. The insurance company will probably ask you for a copy of the crime report, which you will get the fastest from the police station.
Police stress that under no circumstances should a bike suspected of being stolen be purchased:
– If the seller seems to be in a hurry to get rid of the bike, the price is suspiciously cheap or the bike has clear break marks, it is advisable not to make deals and report the seller to the police. Buying or receiving seized property is also punishable. Financial support for wheel thieves increases the profitability of thefts, leading to new wheel thefts.