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THERE were 58 bicycles reported stolen in the Kerry last year, with 14 taken in the first four months of 2021.
Gardaí have released the figures to remind the public to take extra precautions in keeping their bicycles safe by locking them in the most secure way possible.
Since January 2020 up to April 23, 2021, a total of 6,845 bicycles have been stolen across the country, with An Garda Síochána recovering 2,139 bicycles.
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Many cannot be returned to their owners as their serial numbers are not recorded. Of the bicycles stolen since January 2020 only 1 in every 5 bike owners were able to provide their bicycle frame / serial number when reporting the theft to Gardaí. This causes problems reuniting bicycles with their owners.
An Garda Síochána has the following Crime Prevention advice to help owners protect their bikes from theft:
• Spend 10% to 20% of the value of your bike on two locks.
• Lock your bike tightly to an immovable object.
• Keep the lock off the ground.
• When storing your bike at home in a shed or garage ensure it is locked to an immovable object or another heavy item i.e a lawnmower
• Take a photo of your bike, note the serial number and email it back to yourself or store it on the cloud so you have a record of it forever.
• Lock your bike indoors or in well-lit areas if possible.
An Garda Síochána has a number of recovered bicycles at Garda Stations around the country which have not yet been claimed.
Photos of bicycles which have been recovered but not yet returned to their owners are available by Division on www.garda.ie and on An Garda Síochána’s Divisional Facebook Pages along with details for owners to claim their bike.
