Dedham Warns Residents Following Eight Bike Thefts

From the Dedham Police Department:

DEDHAM, MA — The Dedham Police Department have received eight reports of bicycle theft and 1 attempted theft since May 23, 2017. There were zero bicycle theft reports during this same time period last year. Many of these bicycles were stolen from garages. One bicycle was recovered down the street from where it was stolen and charges were sought against a suspect related to one theft. A pin map outlining where these thefts were reported is included.

1. There are some measures that can be taken to avoid being a victim of bicycle theft or to increase the chances of locating a stolen bicycle.
2. Always lock your bicycle using a strong lock when left unattended;
3. Make sure the bike frame is secured by your lock to an immovable object;
4. Lock bicycles in well-lit areas with significant activity going on around it;
5. Store your bicycle inside a locked area at home;
6. Record bicycle serial numbers and have photos of bicycles taking note of any distinguishing features;
7. Register your bicycle. The National Crime Prevention Council offers the National Bike Registry (NBR). For a nominal fee, you can register your bicycle with the NBR. Once registered, you will receive a tamper proof label to apply to your bicycle. Information about your bicycle will be stored in the NBR database. When a bicycle is recovered by a police agency, the bicycles serial number or make, model, color, and frame size can be queried in the NBR database by participating agencies to locate the owner. NBR works with police agencies nationwide helping to return recovered bikes to the rightful owner.