Gardai launch ‘Lock It or Lose It’ bike theft initiative

The number of bikes stolen across Louth was one of the highest in the country, according to new figures from An Garda Siochana.

A report to coincide with the launch of the ‘Lock It or Lose It’ bike theft campaign revealed that a total of 280 bikes were reported stolen to Gardaí in Louth over the last two and a half years.

The vast majority of thefts took place in Dublin (9,918) but Louth ranked sixth nationwide .

The average cost of a bike stolen is around €510, and the most common time for a bike to be stolen is during the hours of 8am and 5pm, with Friday being statistically the most common day for bikes thefts.

Crime Prevention Officer Sgt Tony Davis said: ‘We are appealing to everyone from the pros to the Sunday cyclist to lock their bikes as securely as possible. There has been an increase in the number of people cycling over recent years but unfortunately there is poor awareness of bike security. Nowadays with cycle the to work schemes, people are investing in more expensive bikes so it makes sense to invest in quality locks to prevent bike theft. A few simple tips such as; spending 10% to 20% of the value of the bike on two locks, locking your bike tightly to an immovable object and keep the lock off the ground, will make life difficult for the thief. Take a photo of your bike, note the serial number and email it back to yourself so you have a record of it.

He added: ‘ There is a trend of not reporting 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 have had your bicycle stolen, check the Garda website to view bicycles and all other property that is currently in our property stores.