To get around the island here in Coronado, most people use a bike. As many of you know, Coronado is a safe place to live, however that does not mean that there is not crime. According to Lea Corbin of the Coronado Police Department “Where there are people there is crime”. There have been many rumors going around about the amount of bikes stolen, some even reaching 100 per week. I met with Lea Corbin to find out if those rumors were in fact true. According to the Coronado Police Station’s records over a period of three months consisting of April, May and June there were 38 bikes stolen in 2008 and 53 stolen in 2009. Of those bikes that were stolen in 2008, 23 of them were unlocked, and in 2009 23 of them were also unlocked. The public has been asking how we can possibly prevent our bikes from being stolen, and the answer is simple. Simply lock your bike to a sturdy bike rack that has been bolted to the ground. The majority of the bikes that are stolen are simply unlocked. A classic example is the following: You ride you bike to the store, you park your bike in the bike rack, however you fail to lock your bike, you run for “just a minute”, and when you come out of the store, your bike is gone. Most bikes that are stolen are taken out of the victim’s yard or garage. The police department suggests that you lock your bike with a reliable lock, preferably a strong steel alloy lock. They also suggest that if your lock has a warranty then to use it, and fill out all of the information, that way if you bike is stolen then it will be helpful to the police when recovering your stolen or lost bicycle. The warranty will have all of the information needed to recover your bicycle. The information that you will need to provide is the serial number, the make, the model, the date of purchase, and the license of the bicycle. If a bike is called in by someone, then the police leave the bike where it is locked or chained for three days. After the three days, the bike is picked up and brought to the police station to be kept in property and evidence. The police will then research the bicycle’s data to see if there is a match to the owner. If the owner of the bike does not step forward, after 90 days, then person who called in the bike now has right to ownership of the bicycle. In order to protect yourself from not having to go through the hassle of finding your lost or stolen bicycle, you should always lock your bike up to a bicycle rack that is bolted to the ground. You can also use a cross lock frame, which is when you put your lock in your bike’s front and back wheels and then lock it to a sturdy bicycle rack. The reason why the act of stealing bicycles is so popular on the island is because it is a crime of opportunity, because when you leave your bike unlocked you are inviting the criminals to steal your bike. The suspects steal them and then put them on Craigslist or use other means of selling the bicycles. The act of stealing bicycles increases around late spring and early summer, near the beach areas, due to tourism and an increase of population for a short time. Every crime is equally important to the Coronado Police Department, and each crime under goes an investigation and is then followed up by an officer. For more information on bicycle theft, there are bicycle safety books available at the police station. The Coronado police would like to remind you that bicycle theft is preventable. For more information or to contact the police station see the below information. Coronado Police Department 700 Orange Avenue Coronado, CA 92118 Telephone Number: 619-522-7350 Fax Number: 619-435-1329 Administrative Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00AM to 6:00PM Closed Holidays Elizabeth Dellinger eCoronado.com Online Writer Intern
