Bike Stolen…and Recovered!

Last week a 14-year-old girl called 911 to report that her bike had been stolen from outside the Eden Prairie Community Center while she was inside. Officers were able to review surveillance video taken in the area of the bike rack where the girl had placed her bike but not locked it.

In the video officers noticed a woman walking around the bike rack, then grabbing the girl’s bike and walking away with it. The officers recognized the woman from previous contacts with the Police Department and went to her home. She was not there so they searched the area nearby and found her at a park. Upon questioning the woman, she admitted she had stolen the bike and stashed it at her house.

Officers went with her to her home and found the bike which they returned to the grateful owner. The woman was arrested for theft.

This is a great example of diligent investigative work by the officers involved. It is also an opportunity to remind bike owners of a few tips to help prevent bikes from being stolen:

• Get a good lock and use it, even if it’s just for a few minutes and even in locations that are perceived as “safe.”
• Lock your bike to a fixed, immoveable object like a bike rack or free-standing pole. Make sure your bike cannot be lifted over the object to which it is locked.
• Take a photo of your bike and record details including model, color and serial number. This will make it easier to recover if it is stolen.

This post was originally published on October 18, 2016 on the Eden Prairie Police Department’s blog.