There’s a great article in the Santa Cruz Good Times paper this week (June 26’th edition) about bike theft and recovery efforts in Santa Cruz. The article mentions that through May 2013 there have been 219 bikes reported stolen in the city of Santa Cruz (66 in May alone!), with a total value of nearly $190,000. Most of them never make it back to their original owner because the serial numbers were undocumented.
There are 3 main preventative measures you can take to both protect your bike, and have a greater chance of recovery if it’s stolen:
- Make sure your bikes are properly secured in either a locked garage, shed, or locked to something that can’t be removed. Either lock the front wheel with the frame, or remove it and carry with you.
- Take photos, document the serial number, wheel and frame sizes, and register it with the City of Santa Cruz Police Dept. http://www.cityofsantacruz.com
- Register your bike online at www.santacruzbikebase.com. You can post the serial number, your email address, and a photo of the bike.
If you don’t document the serial number at the very least, your chances of the police getting your bike back to you are pretty slim. Bikes are expensive and easy to steal, so it’s worth it to make the effort and get them documented. We can also keep your bike’s information documented in our electronic database free of charge. Just email any pictures, serial numbers, or other files to us and we’ll pair them with your insurance account.
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Owner of Paul Nelson Insurance, and resident of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties for 30 years.