# Know who stole my bike, but can't do anything about it?



## ak57 (Jun 7, 2011)

Advice needed.

My bike was stolen about 3 months ago... a GT Sensor mountain bike, not the nicest in the world but definitely not cheap. I live in a small town (moab..) and recently got an anonymous tip from someone who told me who stole it, and where they work.

I reported it to the police. They went to the guys house, and he obviously denied doing it. Seemed slightly suspicious because there were a lot of old bikes and parts laying around, but none of them mine.

Don't think my bike was worth parting out. It was the 3.0 model, so deore drivetrain and Tekotro brakes, suntour fork etc. Although the fox shock and pedals may have been worth someting. 

Any advice? The officer told me he can't really do anything without more information... Hopefully having the police show up at his door at least discouraged him from stealing other bikes.


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## AntiPavement (Mar 23, 2012)

I'd tell you what I would do, but you would probably have the police knocking at your door also.


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## ecosse (May 24, 2008)

Yup, I'd be showing up to buddies house with some friends and a baseball bat. Thats just me though...


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## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

Without solid evidence (the bike), this becomes a "he said she said".


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## boogenman (Sep 22, 2006)

If YOU know for sure that this guy did it I would lump the f^cker up real good.


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## nightops (Dec 17, 2004)

short of doing anything illegal- you should scan craigslist for an ad with your bikes specs in it. if you see one its most likely him and you could alert the police to the ad and have them do a sting operation on him.i think i read a story where a woman got her bike back that way. if you end up assaulting the guy it could be the wrong person or he could press charges on you not really worth it.


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## wintersolstice (Feb 26, 2012)

Good luck with your bike, I hope you are able to get it back.

What I have done is take high-res camera shots of the serial numbers on the various components, and used those in one case to get a bike back. Wasn't as nice a bike as *you're* talking about, but it was all I had at the time.


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## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

Stealing bikes in Moab would be a lynching offense I'd guess. A note in the mailbox saying you are being watched (and doing so without stalking) may be a way to provoke a reaction like an attempt to move stolen bikes.


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

the-one1 said:


> Without solid evidence (the bike), this becomes a "he said she said".


Yep, if you didnt actually see said person steal it, or later be in possesion of it (stolen property), you might as well be imagining things...or the "video or it didnt happen" type deal.


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## spooney2 (Jun 7, 2011)

I would want to do the same thing too but if you go all Steven Seagal on him then you will be the one in a lot more trouble. He is now on the cops radar so I'm sure they will be on the lookout for him next time someone reports a stolen bike. Let karma handle it. Get a new bike and keep on riding!


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## AlwaysInjured (Mar 12, 2012)

Ridnparadise said:


> Stealing bikes in Moab would be a lynching offense I'd guess. A note in the mailbox saying you are being watched (and doing so without stalking) may be a way to provoke a reaction like an attempt to move stolen bikes.


That makes sense to me. :thumbsup:


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

Did you write down the serial number?


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## IndecentExposure (Sep 25, 2006)

If your informant has some credible evidence, push for a search warrant.


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## IndecentExposure (Sep 25, 2006)

otherwise, gloves, lock pic set, learn their schedule, and go look for yourself. Hollywood makes is look easy.


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## wintersolstice (Feb 26, 2012)

IndecentExposure said:


> otherwise, gloves, lock pic set, learn their schedule, and go look for yourself. Hollywood makes is look easy.


Follow them on Facebook, wait for the inevitable "I'm fencing ak57's bike today" post 

But seriously though - do you have the serials anywhere? On the original receipt? In the old book? Any pics? Warranty? Registration?


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

If the cops went, and he didnt have the bike, it sounds like its too late to recover it.


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## Cujo (Jun 10, 2004)

I hate thieves. This definitely warrants a severe butt whoopin if you know he done it for sure. Just wear a ski mask when you do it so he can't prove it was you. I'm a firm believer in paybacks, and he would pay one way or another.


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## Mr. Jimmy (Oct 13, 2011)

Sorry about your bike.
Maybe too late but keep photos of your bikes including the SN#. I had an old bike stolen in Denver a while ago and I keep looking for it on craigslist. It's probably a repainted single speed now. 
Bike thieves should be treated like horse thieves.


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

Moab is a TINY town. If he didn't part it out, I have a feeling you will be seeing your bike sooner or later on the roads.

Good luck.


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## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

Mr. Jimmy said:


> Bike thieves should be treated like horse thieves.


If caught in the act by all means agreed.

Would do a single drive by seeing if you can see your bike in passing. Watch craigslist, ebay along with posting it at the local shops. Hopefully you will be able to see your old bike again. Would avoid becoming the aggressor as an assault charge would do you no favors.

Best of luck.


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## Guaro (Apr 13, 2012)

bump


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## TrailBlazr (Apr 12, 2012)

That sucks. If I were you, if I knew who did it 100%, the gloves are comin off! He crossed the line, make him wish he never stole your bike.


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## steiny (Jul 8, 2004)

ak57 said:


> My bike was stolen about 3 months ago... and recently got an anonymous tip from someone who told me who stole it


You need to be extra careful here - you are jumping to all sorts of conclusions without any SOLID evidence.

Consider the source - the person is anonymous. Yeah, OK. Why hide? Why are they trying to protect themselves? It could be that they are afraid you will drop the informants name to the perp. Or how about this - the informant has an axe to grind (perhaps he had his bike stolen from the perp) and wants to cause trouble for the alleged perp. You just become a pawn in his game. He heard that you had a bike stolen a while back and you never recovered it so he will use you as a proxy to cause trouble for the alleged perp. Or maybe the tipster is just a ****** and wants to cause trouble for the alleged perp - again, using you as a pawn.

Unfortunately, you have zero reliable information to go on. That really sucks and I can imagine how frustrated you are. Don't make matters worse by doing something stupid that will only get you into trouble and possibly cause an innocent party some frustration/harm/whatever. Then you have to deal with the fallout from that situation ... and you're still missing the bike.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

spooney2 said:


> I would want to do the same thing too but if you go all Steven Seagal on him then you will be the one in a lot more trouble. He is now on the cops radar so I'm sure they will be on the lookout for him next time someone reports a stolen bike. Let karma handle it. Get a new bike and keep on riding!


Having dealt with police on stolen property as well as vandalism in various area's this is how police handle it.
Might show up at suspects house "did you steal a bike"
Suspect "no"
police show up at yorus "yea there is no evidence we will keep a look out for it"
And from that point on unless something drops straight into their lap absolutely nothing will happen. 
IN a perfect world the OP could and should Knee Cap the worthless SOB (provided he had direct evidence) however since his life would likely be worse because of it he has to suck it up and move on.

To the Op
The bike does have serial numbers on it and those can be compared to point of origin, something you should bring up to the police who may or may not know about it and push for more. Do some investigating on your own but again, follow the law, its not worth destroying your entire life over this useless POS, oh yea, and once a thief, well you aint gonna scare him straight


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## Mr. D (Jun 1, 2008)

needs more" PI" work.


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## jacklikesbeans (Feb 18, 2011)

I would kidnap one of his loved ones and part them out. Sell a couple kidneys and you got any bike you want. 

Seriously though if I was in your shoes I would just be ticked but know that I already did the right thing (called the cops).


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

I like how all the tough guys are automatically claiming they would go to the thief's house, who they've never even seen and beat him up. What if the guy is absurdly tall and outweighs you by a substantial amount? Or even worse, what if you show up to his house to confront him and he pulls a gun on you, and unleashes a hellstorm of bullets upon your face?

You guys kinda make yourselves look like idiots when you say stuff like that.

That being said thieves should all rot in prison.


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## KVW (Aug 11, 2011)

Be really careful if you intact any retribution. I would hate to see the OP get felony charges pressed against him. That **** will stay on your record for the rest of your life! And imagine if you were wrong! 

I don't believe in karma. I believe a murderer can take that **** to the grave if justice is never brought to him/her but as others said, more PI work and try to land some solid evidence. If you do recover evidence and the cops still don't do anything... And if after all that time, you're still just as pissed about it (you'll be surprised how enough time cools you down), a well planned ski-mask ambush is in order, provided you're willing to take the risk. 

I'm super paranoid bout my crap being stolen. To the point that it annoys my friends sometimes with the inconvenience of it. But it's this exact situation I'm trying to avoid! For some reason, bikes and radio systems are a hot item for thieves... more so than other things it would seem.


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

if this guy does steal. i assume he'd be packing some heat too. i wont go with bare hand and show him my face.

a bike its a bike. no need to handle it with an extreme way like that. on the other hand. you just cant be sure its him without solid prove. 

if the people who gave you the word can testify in the court that means, this person did see him or have evidence of him stealing your bike. my point of view is most people that told you, its just assuming. if you are hardcore, really want it back, or give him a lesson not to mess with you. youd have to drag whoever talks to you to confront with the thief . i mean there is a lot of way to handle this, depending how far you wanna go if you know i mean


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

As a retired police officer in a major metropolitan city, I would say you have almost zero chance of the police recovering the bike for you, or bringing the suspect to justice. Property crimes generally elicit a "if you dont have a clearly identifiable person stealing your bike on video, we cannot help you response". I would just let it go. I know it sucks bad, but you will only drive yourself crazy obsessing about it. Don't do anything stupid.


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## ALBM (Jan 16, 2012)

Sorry too hear your bike got stolen, even more sorry too hear you MIGHT know who did it. I won't go into the "don't get even, get ahead" mentality (that'd be a ef'n long post), I just want too tell you what I do too protect myself if this should happen too me.
1. Take pictures of the bike and serial number as I got it from the dealer ( or frame if building from ground up)
2. Take pictures of all the upgrades (wheels, stem, bars, brakes, etc...)
3. Keep a list of what went where, put a price on it, this stuff ain't cheap!
4. Email and archive the email with the pictures, that way you can always go back and retrieve them if needed.
This is also good info too have for your home owners/renters insurance.
As too what happend too that bike thief, how would you know, you were out riding your bike.


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## Lopaka (Sep 7, 2006)

What's your address and what do you have that someone else can steal? you're a *****


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## scmtbiker (Jan 11, 2007)

Went to the beach last week and had two bikes stolen. Found them a few houses up in the garage and just took them back.


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## eastspur (Jan 25, 2009)

1. Check Craigslist for Moab and closest big cities. 

2. Check pawn shops.

3. Alert local bike shops.

The serial number would be nice but it's not necessary. If you register your bike with the police department the serial number will be checked by pawn shops.

I have done my own craigslist sting on a stolen Kayak. Ending up sitting in the kayak and calling 911. The thief will either bolt or claim they bought on craigslist. I would not rely on the cops to do a sting. It will be gone by then.


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

ghettocop said:


> As a retired police officer in a major metropolitan city, I would say you have almost zero chance of the police recovering the bike for you, or bringing the suspect to justice. Property crimes generally elicit a "if you dont have a clearly identifiable person stealing your bike on video, we cannot help you response". I would just let it go. I know it sucks bad, but you will only drive yourself crazy obsessing about it. Don't do anything stupid.


Yep, that whole 'guilty beyond a reasonable doubt' thing sure is troublesome! If only we could just go after someone we 'just know' did it ... unless someone is saying that about me, of course.

I understand the frustration -- I've had stuff stolen, too, and had my suspicions about who did it. But realistically, how are the police supposed to search a house or prosecute a charge based on an anonymous tip? How would you like that done to you? That darn Fouth Amendment ...

FYI, I and a couple people I know have found stolen things on local classified sites. When you can go inspect it as a 'possible buyer' and can identify serial numbers and stuff, then you're talking -- the police can and will go in and seize property if you can show them that.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

ghettocop said:


> As a retired police officer in a major metropolitan city, I would say you have almost zero chance of the police recovering the bike for you, or bringing the suspect to justice. Property crimes generally elicit a "if you dont have a clearly identifiable person stealing your bike on video, we cannot help you response". I would just let it go. I know it sucks bad, but you will only drive yourself crazy obsessing about it. Don't do anything stupid.


And we wonder why crime is so high in the United States.............


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

eastspur said:


> I have done my own craigslist sting on a stolen Kayak. Ending up sitting in the kayak and calling 911. The thief will either bolt or claim they bought on craigslist. I would not rely on the cops to do a sting. It will be gone by then.


I helped a friend get his bike back this way. He is somewhat uncommon DH bike was stolen, found one on classifieds with a pretty bad description and priced well below what a legit owner would want for it. We went and checked it out, checked serial #s and it was his bike. There were about 5 rough looking dudes at the house, so he said he was going to get some $$ and would probably be back; we sat in his car and called the SLC pd. 2 cars (3 officers) were there in about 5 minutes. They ended up getting the bike back -- only problem was it sat in 'evidence' for about a month while the charges were being brought.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

Tystevens said:


> Yep, that whole 'guilty beyond a reasonable doubt' thing sure is troublesome! If only we could just go after someone we 'just know' did it ... unless someone is saying that about me, of course.
> 
> I understand the frustration -- I've had stuff stolen, too, and had my suspicions about who did it. But realistically, how are the police supposed to search a house or prosecute a charge based on an anonymous tip? How would you like that done to you? That darn Fouth Amendment ...
> 
> FYI, I and a couple people I know have found stolen things on local classified sites. When you can go inspect it as a 'possible buyer' and can identify serial numbers and stuff, then you're talking -- the police can and will go in and seize property if you can show them that.


I have no problem with guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, (which is actually only for murder) but that actually requires police to get off their lazy bums and do some leg work which is called investigating. 
Your fourth amendment argument does not stand, TSA is about a big a violation of your Fourth as Imaginable, as are "safety checkpoints".


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## 73h 8r!110 (Jan 25, 2008)

This might be a long shot (a very long shot)...

but what would happen if you provided an EXTREMELY detailed description to the cops. Detailing things like the tire brand, the tread style, # of gears, color of grips, brand of seat, and every ding and dent on the frame, etc...

If the cops went to the thieves house, they could ask the theif for a detailed description of the bike...but he wouldnt be able to describe it as well as you could. THis would look extremely suspicious if he still has the bike on his property...right? How could you possibly know more about *his* bike than he does.

Good luck man. Nobody likes to see the "bad guy" win.

-brillo


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## Tystevens (Nov 2, 2011)

Blurr said:


> I have no problem with guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, (which is actually only for murder) but that actually requires police to get off their lazy bums and do some leg work which is called investigating.
> Your fourth amendment argument does not stand, TSA is about a big a violation of your Fourth as Imaginable, as are "safety checkpoints".


Ehh, what?

Everything else aside, would you want to live in a country where the cops could come knock on your door and say "this guy got an anonymous tip that you stole his bike, so we are coming in to look around."


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

Tystevens said:


> Ehh, what?
> 
> Everything else aside, would you want to live in a country where the cops could come knock on your door and say "this guy got an anonymous tip that you stole his bike, so we are coming in to look around."


Drop a dime on someone dealing drugs and see how fast your door gets kicked in.


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## dirtdan (Jun 27, 2011)

Blurr said:


> And we wonder why crime is so high in the United States.............


They are all bogged down placing parking tickets on cars and raising revenue than to have to worry about protecting private property of citizens. duh.


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## dirtdan (Jun 27, 2011)

Anyone that ever puts anything up for sale on craigslist and gets that annoying email from the guy who is moving out of the country, but is going to send you a money order (and he will) for the item (and throw in an extra couple bucks for your trouble) and then have his assistant come pick up the item knows the police doesn't give a rats ass about protecting private property. This practice on craigslist of check fraud would be simple to stamp out if the police were interested in protecting private property. However, they are too busy with parking tickets, raising money for the state, and incarcerating people over harmless drug crimes in order to meet quotas that are part of the contract between the government and private enterprises that run the jails.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

danhasdrums said:


> Anyone that ever puts anything up for sale on craigslist and gets that annoying email from the guy who is moving out of the country, but is going to send you a money order (and he will) for the item (and throw in an extra couple bucks for your trouble) and then have his assistant come pick up the item knows the police doesn't give a rats ass about protecting private property. This practice on craigslist of check fraud would be simple to stamp out if the police were interested in protecting private property. However, they are too busy with parking tickets, raising money for the state, and incarcerating people over harmless drug crimes in order to meet quotas that are part of the contract between the government and private enterprises that run the jails.


Bingo we have a winner


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## jeffgothro (Mar 10, 2007)

ghettocop said:


> As a retired police officer in a major metropolitan city, I would say you have almost zero chance of the police recovering the bike for you, or bringing the suspect to justice. Property crimes generally elicit a "if you dont have a clearly identifiable person stealing your bike on video, we cannot help you response". I would just let it go. I know it sucks bad, but you will only drive yourself crazy obsessing about it. Don't do anything stupid.


More or less what I said on the fitst page...nobody seems to get it.



jeffgothro said:


> Yep, if you didnt actually see said person steal it, or later be in possesion of it (stolen property), you might as well be imagining things...or the "video or it didnt happen" type deal.


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## Trail Addict (Nov 20, 2011)

danhasdrums said:


> Anyone that ever puts anything up for sale on craigslist and gets that annoying email from the guy who is moving out of the country, but is going to send you a money order (and he will) for the item (and throw in an extra couple bucks for your trouble) and then have his assistant come pick up the item knows the police doesn't give a rats ass about protecting private property. This practice on craigslist of check fraud would be simple to stamp out if the police were interested in protecting private property. However, they are too busy with parking tickets, raising money for the state, and incarcerating people over harmless drug crimes in order to meet quotas that are part of the contract between the government and private enterprises that run the jails.


Could not have said it better. :thumbsup:


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## ghettocop (Jul 26, 2011)

Blurr said:


> I have no problem with guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, (which is actually only for murder) but that actually requires police to get off their lazy bums and do some leg work which is called investigating.
> Your fourth amendment argument does not stand, TSA is about a big a violation of your Fourth as Imaginable, as are "safety checkpoints".


I'm sorry you think so lowly of the police. As a real hard charging street officer for 18 years, I want you to know that I would have been willing to die protecting you or your loved ones in any serious situation. Did it dozens of times during my career as a patrol officer and my tenure with the gun recovery unit. I really am sorry that you feel the way you do.


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## Anonymous (Mar 3, 2005)

You want him dead, or just hurt real bad? I work for beer and have some spare time next Thursday. 
I got no tolerance for bike thieves.


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## Skeptastic (Mar 31, 2012)

IndecentExposure said:


> otherwise, gloves, lock pic set, learn their schedule, and go look for yourself. Hollywood makes is look easy.


Dexter?


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## While At Rome (Apr 25, 2011)

Sucks a lot dude.

Try and claim it on your homeowners or renters insurance. I had my 2007 Sworks Enduro stolen and i got 5000$ for it. Damn theif broke my garage side door and stole it. I still check craigslist and stuff for it about once a week almost a year later. Always keep your bikes inside your vehicle or house/garage.

Make sure you register the serial number of your bikes with the police!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Ridnparadise (Dec 14, 2007)

It's Moab. Things will work out. The police officer who posted earlier is right. Let it go until Moab catches the perp when they slip up. Don't forget that thieves target "resorts" and may arrive planning to steal multiple bikes, leave town with a loaded van and come back next month. Let it go.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

Ridnparadise said:


> It's Moab. Things will work out. The police officer who posted earlier is right. Let it go until Moab catches the perp when they slip up. Don't forget that thieves target "resorts" and may arrive planning to steal multiple bikes, leave town with a loaded van and come back next month. Let it go.


BS why should he let go of something he worked so hard for?

Thats wrong, the police need to get off their ass and do their job, the sooner the people begin forcing them to the sooner they can actually have an impact on crime.

At this point they simply do not care.
For some reason in this country we have the attitude its ok to work your ass off, to risk your well being only to have what you owned stripped from you and to "let it go"

**** that.


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## Frozenspokes (May 26, 2004)

Insurance is for property. Check your homeowners/renters policy. Your insurance company may cover the cost of a replacement bike. 

And for the conspiracy theorists on page two of this thread. You give govt. Far too much credit.


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

I wouldn't like it much to have my bike stolen, so I take whatever precautions that are available to me. I do not leave my bike anywhere that makes it easy for anyone, I have it insured under my homeowners insurance, and I keep pictures and so on. I do not take pictures of all the components as they tend to change a bit now and then! As for getting even, beating the guy up is not an option in my book, you could be mistaken about him, and I firmly believe that violence does not do a lot of good, no matter what Hollywood or some of the posters here say. If you have incontrovertible proof he did it, give it to the cops. If they still won't do anything, go to the local press, that kind of thing in a small place like Moab might make a story, and bad publicity about bikes in a place that relies on them for much income may cause a bit of an local outcry.
As for cops' ineptitude or lack of application, I know there are well-motivated and hard working cops out there, but there do seem to be some who are in it for different reasons that do not always include public service in the way we might like to see it. Making target figures and politics are 2 areas that seem to detract from the effectiveness of that service. Blame the politicians, not the officers. Personally I blame a lot of this on the nature of greed, envy, and the way our society breeds that insatiable desire to have more and more of whatever we think makes us happy. This is another thread tho!


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## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

danhasdrums said:


> Anyone that ever puts anything up for sale on craigslist and gets that annoying email from the guy who is moving out of the country, but is going to send you a money order (and he will) for the item (and throw in an extra couple bucks for your trouble) and then have his assistant come pick up the item knows the police doesn't give a rats ass about protecting private property. This practice on craigslist of check fraud would be simple to stamp out if the police were interested in protecting private property. However, they are too busy with parking tickets, raising money for the state, and incarcerating people over harmless drug crimes in order to meet quotas that are part of the contract between the government and private enterprises that run the jails.


LOL

I've seen this one more than once. Just tell the guy sure go ahead and send the $$$, however you will not release the item until the check is fully cleared and verified with cash in your hand. Normally takes a while (Months) with the banks for it to happen. They get really annoyed when you do that.

Another CL scam I love is when someone is selling a car or other expensive item. You email asking where you could see the vehicle checking condition and mileage. They reply letting you know that you have just bought the car. Told them it is not a contract and only inquiry to receive a reply threatening prosecution if they are not compensated immediately. Some people are really dumb if they think they can extort money out of people like that. Told them to take a flying leap and please proceed with prosecution. I have all the documentation needed in the email conversations not only to win but counter sue for wasting my time. They quickly apologized and never heard from them again.


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## mikeg212001 (Mar 14, 2012)

AntiPavement said:


> I'd tell you what I would do, but you would probably have the police knocking at your door also.


+1 :thumbsup:


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

Frozenspokes said:


> Insurance is for property. Check your homeowners/renters policy. Your insurance company may cover the cost of a replacement bike.
> 
> And for the conspiracy theorists on page two of this thread. You give govt. Far too much credit.


The number one job of A department is to generate revenue for the government, be it city, county or state. 
It costs money to investigate, it also costs money to have someone in court and or in trial.

Simplest way to explain it, during the 1800s with the settlement of old west towns, the towns were having a hard time funding their governments.
The cowboys & Miners would come into town blowing money and raising hell, they started throwing them in jail, when they are in jail they do not spend money. 
If they fined them to much or left them locked up for to long, they of course would not come back to that town. If they fined them a medium amount which caused a minor inconvenience they would pay and continue on their way.

Cities were caught fixing yellow lights on Traffic Camera's for surprise, more profit, without yellow light fixing chicago alone will rake in some 60 million a year. Safety preached for your own good is nothing more than BS to generate cash for the government. 
Six cities busted for shortening yellow light


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

ghettocop said:


> I'm sorry you think so lowly of the police. As a real hard charging street officer for 18 years, I want you to know that I would have been willing to die protecting you or your loved ones in any serious situation. Did it dozens of times during my career as a patrol officer and my tenure with the gun recovery unit. I really am sorry that you feel the way you do.


I grew up in an area where police corruption was not the exception, it was the rule. Amazon.com: The Bad Boys of Butte (9780972969024): Les Rickey: Books

I can go on with personal examples but in your mind you were a hero who did a good job, and I am sure you did some good things along the way, maybe saved a life or two, had to deliver some bad news to families, and had to see some things you wish you never saw.
But I only need to know two things about you. One your previous statement 


ghettocop said:


> As a retired police officer in a major metropolitan city, I would say you have almost zero chance of the police recovering the bike for you, or bringing the suspect to justice. Property crimes generally elicit a "if you dont have a clearly identifiable person stealing your bike on video, we cannot help you response". I would just let it go. I know it sucks bad, but you will only drive yourself crazy obsessing about it. Don't do anything stupid.


In that statement it tells me exactly what I already know, unless something is dropped right into your lap, nothing will be done about it.
Now had you worked in a major city this is somewhat understandable as hopefully you would have had bigger fish to fry. The trouble with that analogy is that small fish eventually grow up to be big fish thus why it is important to nip crime and small rings in the butt early on, but then you would have been out of a job.

The second thing I needed to know about you is you are retired after apparently 18 years, 20 being the norm, meanwhile those you "served" will be lucky to get retirement after 45 years, during that time their lives will be spent working to pay for your early enjoyment of life.

I would still ride with ya and have a beer afterwards


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## sagitt77 (Oct 26, 2010)

Try to take a photo of his face from a distance by a camera with a big zoom. There is no need to expose themselves to meeting with him. Prepare a several copies of notices/posters with his photo and text: "beware of the thief" and place the poles in his neighborhood.


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## sooner518 (Aug 1, 2007)

nightops said:


> short of doing anything illegal- you should scan craigslist for an ad with your bikes specs in it. if you see one its most likely him and you could alert the police to the ad and have them do a sting operation on him.i think i read a story where a woman got her bike back that way. if you end up assaulting the guy it could be the wrong person or he could press charges on you not really worth it.


i had an ipod and case of CDs stolen out of my car a few yeras back. Saw the ipod on ebay, one night, bid on it, won the auction, convinced the seller to meet me in town and then had the police set up a sting with me. it was pretty awesome, plus it helped bust this ******bag and his friend who had stolen thousands of dollars of stuff over the previous year. its a long story, but if you have good evidence (the seller sent me pictures of the ipod he was selling that included a unique engraving on the back, I also had the original box and serial number) the police seemed really eager and excited to help me.

in your case, an anonymous tip is pretty tough to go on. unless they see the bike and you have proof its yours, youre probably out of luck with the cops...


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## Koppuh Klyde (Jul 13, 2010)

Yeah, you really only get the option to kick ass if you catch him in the act. He could have given it to this guy and lied to him about where he got it.

Stolen bike passion can turn into jailhouse passion real quick.


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## huntermos (Mar 7, 2011)

ALBM said:


> Sorry too hear your bike got stolen, even more sorry too hear you MIGHT know who did it. I won't go into the "don't get even, get ahead" mentality (that'd be a ef'n long post), I just want too tell you what I do too protect myself if this should happen too me.
> 1. Take pictures of the bike and serial number as I got it from the dealer ( or frame if building from ground up)
> 2. Take pictures of all the upgrades (wheels, stem, bars, brakes, etc...)
> 3. Keep a list of what went where, put a price on it, this stuff ain't cheap!
> ...


Everyone should do these things^^^ especially have a copy of your serial #. I also paint my initials inside the bottom bracket. Thieves would never think to look there even if they can alter or hide the serial #. Seems like overkill but having a bike stolen sucks...


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## juancho142 (Feb 26, 2010)

Don´t do anything dumb, specially if you don´t know for sure it´s him.
If you possitively think it´s him but there´s no way of getting the bike back you could try to steal his bike or something that´s his and very valuable without being seen.

All the bs tough talk aside... i´d fight a thief if i caught him stealing, in fact i was riding once and ended up chasing a guy who stole a purse. However i couldn´t get off the bike and bet the sh!t out of him because my @sshole friend got fvckin left behind because we were at a gas station and he had his riding bag open... instead of closing it quickly and coming with me he stayed far back leaving me alone (he´s my friend but everytime y remember that i just wanna beat the living sh!t out of him). Since i was alone on the bike i couldn´t leave the bike alone to fight the dude and, it wasn´t worth the risk since the guy didn´t steal from me. They got him later.


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## likeaboss (Jan 1, 2012)

Why is stealing a car Grand Theft and stealing a bike is a misdemeanor?

Cost? Some bikes are worth more than some cars.
Transportation? I know plenty of folks who rely on their bikes as primary transportation.
Toy factor? Is a bike a toy? Some cars are certainly toys.

Not meaning to hijack but this thread got me thinking.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

treilley said:


> Why is stealing a car Grand Theft and stealing a bike is a misdemeanor?
> 
> Cost? Some bikes are worth more than some cars.
> Transportation? I know plenty of folks who rely on their bikes as primary transportation.
> ...


Excellent point and more than valid.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

treilley said:


> Why is stealing a car Grand Theft and stealing a bike is a misdemeanor?
> 
> Cost? Some bikes are worth more than some cars.
> Transportation? I know plenty of folks who rely on their bikes as primary transportation.
> ...


I don't know about where you live but in AZ. grand theft is predicated on value not what the stolen item is.


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## Scooby1 (Apr 18, 2012)

Sounds like it will be tough to do anything about it. Sorry to hear that happened. I know how upset I was when my bike was stolen. Good luck to you!


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## fryed_1 (Nov 8, 2010)

AZ.MTNS said:


> I don't know about where you live but in AZ. grand theft is predicated on value not what the stolen item is.


agreed. In VA anything over $200, no matter what it is, will be a felony.


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

it may be a felony but will not be treated the same way as a stolen car.

he is right, at this time it is "only a bicycle stolen" and people, even those on this thread merely shrug it off, how horrible that even those of us who share a common passion give it less than a passing look.


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## huntermos (Mar 7, 2011)

A short story (so as not to offend those unable to bear more than a phrase at a time): 12 years ago, when I still lived in Vail, I spent a lot of time whitewater kayaking. After work, I walked back to my car in the Lionshead parking structure and found that my boat had been "stolen" off of the roof; they'd cut the lock with bolt cutters even taken the cargo straps. I called the Vail PD and they told me that they had it in their custody, and that they were the ones that had taken it. Turns out some guys from Breckenridge were over for the day riding on the mountain (on the trails that I'd been working on all day, and they probably rode right by me a few times that day) and saw my boat, which was the same model and color scheme as a boat stolen from one of them. The PD told me I had to prove that the boat was mine (so much for the burden of proof being on the prosecution's shoulders) in order to get it back. When I got home that afternoon, I had two nasty, threatening voice messages awaiting me from the friends of the owner of the stolen boat (we write our names and phone #'s in our boats in case we lose them on the river, and they'd clearly copied them down). Since I had bought the boat just a month before -used- from a ski school friend, it was easy to track down a receipt and prove that the boat was mine. so I had it back within the week, although the cops didn't bother to replace my lock that they'd cut and the d-bags that threatened to come over and beat me to a pulp never did apologize...

The two lessons I learned? 
1: Always keep your receipts and/or have some sort of proof of ownership
2: Never make assumptions of guilt without proof


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## Blurr (Dec 7, 2009)

My sister went thru the same thing when some burglars had stolen her firearms, even though they confessed to stealing the guns, had a detailed description of the guns she still was told she needed a receipt to show they were hers. Pretty hard considering one of them was given to her 20+ years ago when she was a teenager. In the end she raised hell and got them back minus the magazine which the police kept for some twisted logic only their own.
Ridiculous near useless system we have.


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## pecsokak (Sep 23, 2010)

my friend got a hardrock stolen from our campus. like middle of the day, busiest area of campus. i'm pretty sure they would have gotten the guy on camera, and the bike was registered through the school police department as well. he had bought the bike used for like 300 or so bucks i think, and it was like 2 sizes too big for him. he was going to sell it to buy a new bike pretty soon, but since it was stolen from campus, his renter's insurance covered it, and he got more money than he would have been able to sell it for. 

moral of the story: i don't trust big businesses or big governments, but at least we can decide which businesses to give money too.


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