ALMOST €2 MILLION worth of bicycles have been stolen since 2016 according to the latest report from An Garda Síochana.

The figures have been released by the Garda Analysis Services as part of the Lock it or Lose it campaign, an ongoing appeal by gardaí for cyclists to keep their bicycles safe.

In 2017 bike theft rates were up 7.5% and are on course to rise again this year with 2,319 bikes stolen so far in 2018. 

In the last two years, 14,112 bikes have been stolen but gardaí say that it only has 16% of the bicycle frame numbers recorded. 

According to Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Tony Davis, there is a very poor awareness of bike security despite an increase in the number of people cycling in recent years. 

“There is a trend of not reporting the theft of bikes to gardaí which makes it difficult for us to reunite any recovered bikes with their owners.

“If your bike is stolen, report the theft to gardaí as soon as you can. If you are buying a second-hand bike, look for proof of ownership before purchasing. 

“If you have had your bicycle stolen, you can go onto the garda website to view bicycles and all other property that is currently in our property stores,” Davis said in a statement. 

Crime Prevention 

According to the gardaí, the most common time for a bike to be stolen is from 8am to 5pm while Friday is statistically the most common day for a theft to occur. 

Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway make up 83% of the theft of bikes with 52% of bikes stolen on public streets and 32% stolen from homes.

From 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2018, there has been 9,918 bikes stolen in Dublin, 683 in Cork, 646 in Limerick and 506 in Galway. 

As part of the Lock it or Lose it campaign, gardaí have issued the following crime prevention advice:

• Spend 10% to 20% of the value of your bike of two locks
• Lock your bike tightly to an immovable object
• Keep the lock off the ground
• Take a photo of your bike, note the serial number and email it back to yourself so you have a record of it forever.
• Lock your bike indoors or in well-lit areas if possible