The City of Madison Police Department recovers 900 to 1,000 bikes every year, but only returns between 100 and 150 of them to their rightful owners, according to police.
Another 600 to 800 of the recovered bikes are put up at auction each year, police property supervisor Jim Nikora said. But bikes registered with the police are returned to the owner 70 to 75 percent of the time, he said.
“Getting a bicycle license really does help,” city of Madison Police Officer Jennifer Krueger said. “It’s the law, and if we find the bike, we can return it.”
A four-year bike registration can be purchased for $8, according to Nikora, and a second bike registration costs $5.
To prevent bike theft, University of Wisconsin police officer Johnnie Diamante said students should secure their bikes properly. To do so, secure the frame and wheels and use a U-lock or a Kryptonite lock. Diamante advised against cable locks because they can be easily broken with bolt cutters.
For a bike with a quick-release seat that detaches easily, a seat cable is a good deterrent, Diamante said, because a thief must make more effort to steal the bike. This increases the thief’s chances of apprehension.
UW junior and Budget Bicycle Center employee Nathan Helgren said he thinks bicycle theft is not always a premeditated crime, because a drunk person might steal one to ride it home. Although the drunken nightrider can steal a bike at the spur of the moment, Helgren said other times thieves sell the parts of a stolen bicycle.
He said thieves can steal all but the front wheel of a bicycle chained to a bike rack, purchase a new wheel for just $30 or $40 and sell the bike frame if it is in good condition. Helgren added that Budget Bicycle Center conducts bike trade-ins, but does not buy bikes back.
Krueger said the first reaction to a stolen bike is to call the police and report it.
Officer Diamante said to know the bike’s registration number, serial number, brand, size, color, and speed, as well as any special modifications to the bike. If tools, a wheel, or the lock have been left behind, students should not touch them and instead should wait for police to collect fingerprints.
“If they lock their bikes, it will be less of a target,” UW police Detective Bruce Carroll said. “If they use a horseshoe lock, it will be even less of a target. Many times people leave it sit somewhere for a month and it’s gone.”
Nigora stressed not relying solely on a lock.
“A $50 lock can be taken off very quickly. Register [your bike],” Nigora said. “A good lock is better than no lock, but it’s no guarantee that it won’t be stolen.”
Nigora added that students should not leave a bike in a public place for longer than a few days because people may believe it has been abandoned. If the police are called, the bike may be confiscated.
Diamante recommended that students purchase an inexpensive bike for campus use. A used bike can be as cheap as $20, he said, and renting a bike is another inexpensive alternative.
The City of Madison Police gives bikes to an auctioneer twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. A missing bike can be claimed at the auction. Police return it a few days after the auction, following a verification check.