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AN Garda Síochána is appealing to cyclists to take extra precautions in keeping their bicycles safe by locking them in the most secure way possible, as new figures show 139 bikes were stolen in Kerry from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018.
Over 14,000 bikes have been stolen since 2016 nationwide as.figures from the Garda Analysis Services show that bicycle theft was up 7.5% in 2017 and is on course to increase again in 2018.
The average cost of a bike stolen is around €510. 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 to be stolen.
The analysis also shows that Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway make up 83% of the theft of bikes. 52% of bikes are stolen on public streets. 32% are stolen from homes.
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
Breakdown of bike theft incidents;
Dublin 9918
Cork 683
Limerick 646
Galway 506
Kildare 368
Louth 280
Waterford 255
Wicklow 215
Kilkenny/Carlow 197
Meath 174
Westmeath 152
Kerry 139
Laois/Offaly 135
Wexford 89
Sligo/Leitrim 61
Clare 60
Roscommon/Longford 59
Mayo 51
Tipperary 48
Cavan/Monaghan 45
Donegal 31
Bikes stolen in each year…
2016 – 5684
2017 – 6109
2018 – 2319 (YTD)
Total 14,112
