Letter To The Editor: Protect Your Bicycles From Theft!

 

I wanted to inform your readers of a couple of recent bike thefts in Coronado so that residents and visitors alike can take extra precautions so that it doesn't happen to them!

 

Cable lock had been cut and second bike was removed

The first occurred a couple of weeks ago in broad daylight at the Marriott on the bay.  My husband and I went for brunch and locked our bikes up together with a cable lock on the bike racks outside the spa entrance next to the tennis courts.  It was 9am and plenty of people were around.  Two hours later we came out and only one bike remained.  The lock had been cut and my husband's mountain bike, which was an old, but in good condition (with new tires) had been ridden off.  Security and the police were called to investigate.  One thing to note is that the Marriott has no CCTV of any of their external area which was a surprise to us.  The police said the cable had one of the cleanest cuts they had seen so obviously someone walking through the hotel property from the bay walking path to Glorietta had planned and was prepared to steal a bike that day.

 

The main piece of advice given by the police was not to use cable locks but use U-locks instead as they take longer and are more difficult to break.  They also suggested we check Craig's list, but alas it did not show up since.

 

A U-lock is a better choice

 

The second incident happened to my next door neighbor last weekend.  At 4am, thieves scaled her fence from the adjacent alley and stole three bicycles from inside her yard.  This crime is regarded as burglary and not just petty theft due to the property invasion. Two of the bikes were brand new.  From talking to them, the feeling we shared was mutual; we felt violated, not to mention angry about the future cost of replacement.

 

My advice for this second incident is lock your bikes, with U-locks, inside your yard or garage and ensure the perimeter of your property is secure as possible.

 

If you look at the weekly police blotter listing the Coronado crimes, usually half are bike thefts.  Often they are unlocked when stolen, but it seems like there is an increasing trend in stealing bikes in broad daylight, or even more worryingly from inside people's properties.

 

So, use a U-lock, and keep your bike safe!

 

Jacqueline Hardt