Bike thefts in Burlington VT
 

NYT article. Interesting read.

Since I am not a subscriber, I cannot see the article.

1. Visit archive.is
2. Insert the article URL
3. Profit

Thanks for the tip.

Michael Hutchins, who moved to Florida last October to get away from the drug scene in Burlington...

First time I've heard of someone moving to Florida to get away from drugs

You can directly download the html file from the link and read it that way.

"A tourist who camped by the lake only to have his expensive mountain bike vanish."

Probaly North Beach Campground. I stayed there for two nights in 2018 and last year. Both times during bike tours. There is relatively easy public access from the beach and the Island Line Trail that passes by the camping area., Although the gate that allows access to the camping area from the trail is closed and locked at night, it's still possible to access the camping area from the beach even though it is closed at night.

During my 2018 stay I was up late reading and saw a tweaker-looking guy walking around looking into facility vehicle windows. I trained my headlamp on him. He got the message and left.

I am usually not nervous about theft when I am on tour. I employ situational awareness. I am not going to bother locking my bike if I am running into a store for a quick snack in Nowhereville, MT, or even Nowhereville, VT. Burlington, however, is one place I would not leave my bike unlocked unless I could keep my eye on it at all times. Lst year I had a lean-to at North Beach Campground. While I slept, I positioned the bike behind my tent and threaded the cable lock around the frame and front wheel. That is saying something considering I often do not lock my bike when I sleep.

.
...bicycles have been noted as a form of "currency" in the less savory demographic of the homeless community for many years here. The odd thing about it, from the perspective of someone who looks at bicycle "quality", is that a working, rolling bike seems to be worth the same 20-40 bucks, regardless of "quality". IIRC, when my acquaintance, Brad, got his very "nice" bike snatched, it only dost him about $40 to buy it back, when he found it with some guy over at the light rail platform on12th street.

Which is a pretty good deal, for a nice bike, when you think about it. :)

Yeah. True story: Years ago a guy I know who had his Colnago C-40 stolen. Nearly 2 years later, a guy brought it into a LBS trying to sell it for some very low price. The LBS was owned by...Wait for it...the victim's cousin, who had originally sold him the bike. Ended up paying the guy who brought it in just to avoid the trouble that might result down the road if the cops were called.