Bike Thefts in Safety Harbor? Lock ‘Em Up, Says Law Enforcement

Last fall I received an email from a Safety Harbor resident asking if I had heard about any bike thefts in the area, because she had just had two adult mountain bikes stolen off her screened porch.

At the time I said I hadn’t, but I’d keep my ears open for any similar stories.

A few weeks ago while walking downtown, Main Street Market employee Amanda Bailey stopped me and said two bikes had just been stolen from the back yard of the old Captain’s Pizza, where owner Bill Bailey is building a new fresh market. 

Were the incidents related? Is there a rash of bike thefts plaguing Safety Harbor? 

We went to the best possible person to find out: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy Warren J. Fisher, Safety Harbor’s Community Policing Officer.

After doing some research on the issue, Deputy Fisher sent this reply via email: 

“We have had roughly six bicycles stolen since October from Safety Harbor. These are only the ones that were reported to law enforcement,” he said. “I’m sure the number may be a little higher than that due to the ones that go unreported.” 

Deputy Fisher also had a very simple message to residents to help curtail this and any other theft-related problems. 

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“I would only like to stress that residents please lock their bicycles up or put them away so they are secured. Safety Harbor has had many bike thefts in the past and they are always bikes that are left unlocked 99% of the time.” 

“Safety Harbor is a great community but we make ourselves an easy target for criminals by not locking up our bicycles, scooters and vehicle doors,” he added. “By securing these things it helps us prevent crime in our neighborhoods.”

So there you have it. Safety Harbor has had a number of bike thefts in recent months, like any other community, but according to law enforcement officials, taking a little extra time and exercising some simple precautions can prevent many, if not all, of these incidents. 

What are your thoughts on this issue, Harborites? Have you had any bikes stolen in recent months? If so, were they locked? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.