Bicycle theft has increased lately. In good weather, a lot of bikes and their parts are stolen. Good cycling weather also makes people want to buy a bike, which creates a lively market for stolen bicycles. Particularly the owners of Jopo bikes have a high risk of becoming a victim of crime.
Chief Superintendent Jyrki Aho of the National Police Board calculates that the number of crime reports filed in May this year has increased by more than 700 in comparison with the same time in the previous year.
According to statistics, bicycles and their accessories have been subject to crime a total of 4,259 times this year. Over the year, the total number is around 20,000.
“In crime reports, the police departments of East Uusimaa and Eastern Finland stand out in particular. The differences year-on-year are striking. In East Uusimaa, the increase is 171 and in Eastern Finland, 158. Only the police departments of Southwest Finland and Lapland have lower figures than a year earlier,” says Aho.
261 Jopo bicycles stolen
The crime reports filed show that Jopo bicycles are still favoured by criminals.
“This year, in May alone, the word ‘Jopo’ is included in a total of 261 crime reports. These bikes have traditionally been stolen from the outside of houses, bicycle storage rooms in blocks of flats and from public places. Some of the bikes have been left unlocked in locked premises. In some cases, only a broken lock remains at the crime scene.
Take a picture of your bike and save the identifying information
Without identifying information, it is very challenging to catch bicycle thieves and offenders guilty of receiving offence or violations. Therefore, Jyrki Aho urges everyone to take a picture of their bike and save all possible identifying information.
How to prevent bicycle theft?
• Save the details of the bicycle and the number on the bicycle frame.
• Take a picture of your bike.
• Obtain a sturdy lock and use it properly. A U-shaped lock protects best as it locks the bike’s frame to a bicycle stand or another fixed structure.
• If possible, keep the bike in locked premises.
• Report the theft to the police.
• Bicycle thieves are in many cases young men who are intoxicant abusers and do not worry much about being caught. They do not hesitate to commit offences even during the day and in plain sight. If you suspect a bike theft, call the emergency number 112.
Do not buy a stolen bicycle
Most stolen bicycles are bought by ordinary citizens. When the market is good, professional bike thieves thrive. According to Jyrki Aho, most of the stolen bicycles are sold online and in flea markets. Some of the bicycles are dismantled and sold as spare parts.
Buyers have an obligation to investigate the origin of a used bicycle to a certain degree.
“If you buy stolen goods, you may commit a receiving offence, either intentionally or negligently, that is, because you were not careful enough. If you are buying a bicycle as good as new, worth EUR 400 in the shop, for EUR 100, alarm bells should be set ringing,” Aho points out.
When purchasing a used bicycle, you should ask the seller to show an ID and the receipt of purchase, particularly if the bicycle in question is fairly new. The payment should be made into a bank account. In addition, you should check the number on the bicycle frame, because on stolen bikes, the number has often been somehow faded or scratched.
