You mentioned NY earlier in this thread.
If its NYC I'd bet my last dollar that you'll have a pretty hard time finding a cop who gives a damn about an abandoned bike or if someone is stealing or liberating it. Its not that NYC cops don't care, they just got better things to do than worry about partially disassembled bikes in alleyways. They won't be shy to tell you that if its the case.
NYC cops are the best IMO because they aren't interested in busting balls over trivial stuff unlike suburban cops.
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--Don't Panic.