[Lincolnparkdc] Alley Thefts - Secure Your Bikes!

[Brett Reynolds]

Neighbors,

Pardon the interruption but I wanted to send out an alert about an apparent
rash of bike thefts in our neighborhood's alleys in recent weeks.

We're in the 100 Block of Tennessee Ave NE, and had two bikes stolen from
our back storage area Sunday night. The thieves scaled our 9-foot tall
privacy fence to get inside and must have tossed the bikes over.
(Fortunately, I recovered one of the bikes the next day with the help of
Montgomery County Police when it was listed for sale on on-line marketplace
sites.)

Since mentioning this to various people and local bike shops, I've heard
reports of a lot of alley thefts of bikes and other property in the
vicinity of Lincoln Park in the past couple of weeks, including a number of
bikes stolen as recently as last night.

So keep an eye out and secure your property the same way you would if it
were out in the open, even if it's behind a fence or gate.

Having gone through the experience now, I strongly suggest taking note of
your bike serial numbers, having several good photos of your bikes, and
also consider registering your bike with BikeIndex and/or Project529.
Having the serial number and any other evidence of ownership will be a huge
step towards recovering your bike if it's stolen and ever found. And when
police come across a bunch of bikes suspected as stolen, they run the
serial numbers in databases like BikeIndex, Project529, or county/state
databases. (DC MPD uses Project529.) If your bike is registered, not only
can they get it back to you, but it will help provide additional evidence
of the seller trafficking in stolen property.

Stay safe,
Brett Reynolds
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