'Low-Priority' Crime On The Rise, Take Care With These Tips

Personal fitness, recreation and a desire to protect the environment can be attributed to the increasingly popularity of bicycling, but parents and students know another reason for taking heed to bicycle-protection tips — schools reopening for business.

It's as good a time as any to take steps to prevent bicycle theft, which according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report traditionally "has been viewed by law enforcement as a relatively low priority."

"However, due to the increases in overall usage, criminal statistics show that nationally, the problem of bicycle theft is on the rise and needs to be addressed," the report continues. "Hillsborough County is no exception."

Even without being a mode of transportation to school, the Tampa Bay area has reported an increase in bicycle ridership. According to the report, there was a 67 percent increase in bicycle commuting in Tampa, which in 2012 was ranked No. 15 among the nation's Bicycle Friendly Communities by the League of American Bicyclists.  

To both deter and report bicycle theft, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office offers the following prevention steps.

Step One: Register Your Bicycle

• Should a bicycle be lost or stolen, the best way to help the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office locate, identify, and return a bicycle to it’s rightful owner is to register it.

• Register your bicycle with the Bicycle Registration Program by completing the registration form and submitting it to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. 

• A registration number will be assigned to your bicycle and the information is entered into the sheriff's office's records management system.  

• Secure your bicycle with an adequate bike lock or locks before leaving it unattended.

• Whenever possible, try to park and secure your bicycle in a high traffic, highly visibility area.

• Try not to engage in “flyparking” by securing your bicycle to any item not specifically designed for bicycle parking, such as a tree, signpost or park bench.

• Whenever possible, secure your bicycle to a standard Sheffield or “П” shaped bike stand designed for bicycle parking.

• Lock your bicycle through the frame and both wheels to a bicycle rack or stand.

• Combined usage of both a cable lock and “U‐bolt” shaped lock is recommended as a best practice for securing your bicycle.

• Nationally, only 56 percent of all bicycle thefts are ever reported to law enforcement, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report. It adds: "If you don’t report it, law enforcement cannot be aware of the problem."

• To report a lost or stolen bicycle, report it to the sheriff’s office via non‐emergency dispatch at 813-247‐8200. In the event of an emergency or a crime‐in‐progress, dial 911.