imush

I've had a nice almost-new bike (Specialized Sirrus sport) stolen in Lower East Side on 6/2; cable cut in front of Educational Alliance building. The facility has a video camera, which apparently recorded the incident.

The NYPD (7th pct) first refused to make a report, issued an "info slip" telling me to come or call in 2 days.
After 2 days of calling, they finally agreed to issue a complaint number. I was trying to call them with information (that a video exists, the bike frame serial number etc), and there is nobody there to take it.

Finally, they told me later today that the case is closed! When I asked why, the officer on the phone said because I have no perpetrator. I tried to explain that there is some evidence that may help if they care to look (video), perhaps the police know the thief already. "We'll have someone call you next week".

I understand there is no hope and gave up on the bike (getting another one like that), but the police did not even pretend to look for it. They apparently discourage victims from filing reports (that is well-known, it seems their bonuses depend on statistics, and so not filing reports is "crime prevention"). Once they filed, they immediately closed the case as "unsubstantiated" (no perp, no bike, no proof, no crime).

I am trying to make a point to actually make NYPD go and look at the video. They could have done it right after the incident, when there might still have been some hope to find the thief. So far (2 days) nobody there even cared to take a pencil and write down the serial number. And the incident is "closed". Is there anything else I should do?

Soma Roark

put the video on youtube and call a reporter?

imush

The problem is the building management. They would not let me see the video, but say they would show it to the police.

roadiejorge 

It's a shame that your bike got stolen and the added insult on top of the injury by the NYPD response but the reality of solving bike theft crimes is probably why you got the reposnse you did. Unfortunately it's not high on the crime solving priority list and even worse it's really difficult to catch the perpetrator, and the serial number doesn't mean much since often these bikes get re-sold to unwitting customers. Best advice to commuting in the city by bike is to not leave anything chained up that you'll be upset losing.

echappist

not to be crass, but did you say cable? look, no lock is gonna guarantee 100% security, but the tougher it looks, the more it'll deter people from picking it. with a cable lock, you might as well put a sign that reads: steal my bike please.

edit: just read your update. you gotta be insistent. go in to the station & speak to someone/anyone until someone offers to help. the cops could care less about a bike, you need to make them care

imush

I know, I know... I commute on it and we have a room to keep bikes at work, so it has only been a couple of times I left it outside. And sure enough, on the 2nd or 3rd time it gets stolen. A most infuriating and humiliating experience at the same time. Lesson learned.

Still, if the thief is on tape it would be nice if he could get busted.

imush

The problem is... how far should I go to pursue a hopeless case? I know they will never solve it. But hey also add an insult to the injury by refusing to even acknowledge the theft.

Papa Tom

Former investigator here:

First step (just in case you do convince the NYPD to look into this): Ask the building manager to preserve the footage. If it's recorded to tape, he needs to replace the tape before the footage of the incident is overwritten. Same thing if the video is digital. Average storage space on a digital recorder is 30-60 days. If he makes a print from digital to VHS or CD, be sure the copy includes the time code.

Having worked with the investigative units of Police Departments all over the country, I have to say that the NYPD is not just being unresponsive or difficult. These guys are buried in cases that involve murders and other crimes that are (forgive me for saying so) more urgent than looking for bicycles. When I was investigating for Lloyd's of London, I had to pull teeth to get the NYPD (or any other police force across the USA) to give 100% to finding hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of diamonds. I can't imagine they have time to look for every bicycle that is stolen in Manhattan every day of the week.

Sorry you are so frustrated. Building security companies are bound by certain legal restrictions that keep them from handing you a copy of their surveillance tapes. Suppose you staged a crime in order to get access to footage that showed the movements of an old girlfriend or former business partner -- and then you used that information to have the person knocked off. The security company would be liable to the tune of millions. If you can even get your foot in the door of the security company, ask them if they can. at the very least, provide a still photo or two of the crime in progress. Then bring the pics to the precinct yourself. If you have a good shot of the perp, someone at the precinct might even recognize him or her.

Good luck, and sorry about your bike.

echappist

i mean, nypd cops are lazy. if they can shirk, they will shirk. when the police were suppose to show up to tow away cars for a race we were planning, but didn't show up, we called once every 30 minutes, eventually down to every 20 to make sure the trucks were dispatched. this went on from 2am in the morning to 5am.

if i were you, i'd go once every two days until someone tells me to never come back or something. be nice, think of some sort of sob story, and be insistent. good luck!

imush

if you have a good shot of the perp, someone at the precinct might even recognize him or her.
Yes, that is the only practical reason to ask NYPD to look.


These guys are buried in cases that involve murders and other crimes
I would understand that if they could just that file a report politely and then fail to follow up. As it is they are treating me almost like a suspect, actively refusing to register the incident, and making it look like they are busier trying to fudge their crime statistics than solving murder cases.

As I said, I gave up on the bike already, it is the NYPD's behaviour itself that makes me press forward to make my point.

TiberiusBTkirk

sorry that happened to you.
wasn't there a current story in the village voice on the NYPD either downgrading crime stats or not even pursuing some crimes to make the stats look good. one unreported crime is good in their stats.
how could the NYPD be swamped with crime, NYC is one of, if not, the safest big city in the Nation. whatev.
I remember when my bicycle was stolen in Herald Square during the eighties, a sector car came and actually filled out a complaint. took all of 10 or 15 mins, the cop didn't even get out of his car.

Bacciagalupe

Sorry your bike got stolen, it does suck.

That said.....

IMO it is entirely possible that les flics are dodging paperwork, both to avoid the hassle and to keep their stats looking a little better. However, even if they did file the report and look at the video, I expect the outcome would be nearly identical.

So, a few recommendations.
1) Buy a cheapo single-speed beater bike for $300ish, like a Torker U-District.
2) Buy a big ol' lock like the Kryptonite Fahgettaboudit
3) Get a cable to lock up the rear wheel
4) Consider locking down the saddle using the good ol' chain lockup method


Or, as an alternative: If you use your bike to commute or go to the same regular locations, find out if the building will let you bring in your bike and/or a folding bike. Bromptons are nice and small, but spendy. Dahons are cheap, but should ride well enough for typical NYC use.

Seattle Forrest

First, you have my condolences for your bike. Since I've been an adult, two bikes have been stolen from me. I've never had more than one at a time, and in both cases I went months without one, which was painful. I hope you get a pair of wheels soon, and I'm sorry yours were taken from you.

I had to file a police report after being hit by a driver who ran a red light and sent me to the emergency room. I go the license plates, and there were witnesses. When I went into the police department, the guy at the front desk told me not to file a report, and "debated" with me for some time before he gave in and took my complaint down. So, from what I can tell, you're 100 % right about this.

For what it's worth, I hope you're able to get them to look at the video. A month ago a friend of mine who lives in a "seedy" part of Seattle had a bike stolen. The police were very interested in her report, in the serial number, and in her info about where videos might possibly be found. They had no hopes of recovering her bike for her, but they saw it as another tool in their belts; there are a number of crackheads (etc) in the neighborhood, and seeing one on a bike that fit the description gives them probable cause to see what's going on with that person.

Maybe you can get a tiny bit of leverage with them if you point the same things out? Not that you should have to - New York prides itself on being the home of the "broken window theory" style of law enforcement.

lukasz

As Papa Tom already said: make sure they keep the recording around, because it will get overwritten or deleted very quickly.

LongIslandTom

As far as theft goes, anything less than a grand theft auto the NYPD seems to brush aside, unfortunately.

In your shoes, I would complain loudly, by going to the Press-- I would try to contact the local TV stations like Channel 7's Eyewitness News "On Your Side" and voice your complaint about the NYPD not doing anything. If you are lucky they will air a segment about your ordeal. Nothing is better at getting the city's bureaucracy into action than some bad press.

Maybe contact the NYPD's Civilian Complaint Review Board too.

Papa Tom

If all you are looking for is the appearance of the NYPD actually doing something about your bike, there are ways to accomplish that. But don't fool yourself that the bike is going to be found.

Not to sound unsympathetic to your loss, but life is short and unpredictable. Get a new bike, cover it in black tape or ugly paint, and don't mess around with cable locks anymore. Mostly, be grateful that the NYPD will be there if you ever suffer a more serious crime.

Stacy

Have you checked Craigslist? There are several Sirrus listed. Filing a police report might be worthwhile if you have insurance. Other than that, the only time I've even heard of anyone getting their bike back when they did it themselves, or with a little help from friends.

geo8rge

The video is unlikely to be clear enough as to identify the criminal, unless it is one of the building maintenance people.

So that others can learn from your loss: How was the bike chained what was it chained to?

westBrooklyn

the NYPD is not burried in felonies. they deal with so many BS violations and such. some of the officers deal with real crime, but many spend way too much time on petty BS. hang out in the SAP section at 346 broadway or 120 schermerhorn someday and watch all the BS violations that cops took their time to file reports on.

bike theft is actually a crime with a victim, and the police totally tolerate it and do nothing to discourage it. why? it is easier to cite somebody for a petty violation that they won't fight than it is to look at a video of a property theft and then try to find the guy.

the nypd could, and should, be so much more active in preventing bike theft. no excuse for rampant bike theft in union square in the middle of the day.

I don't think they will actually find stolen bikes. But they can prevent thefts and punish people they catch in the act of stealing bikes.

imush

Just as I gave up (on NYPD, not the bike, which I have given up long ago), a detective actually came to the building and is looking at the video. He called me to check the times and what pole I chained the bike to.

So they did look at the matter after all.

PS I just bought another bike (same model), and an Abus heavy chain, which I think I shall almost never use. I am just not leaving the bike outside in this city. There is room indoors both at home and at work, and I'll just plan to go on foot if I need to go to any place where I cannot bring the bike in with me. It does not happen very often.

So I don't really the need chain, which makes me wonder why I bought it. Maybe I'll just return it. Not having a bike lock is the best prevention measure, since the cyclist is sure to never leave the bike outside that way.

etherealglimpse

Hey, I'm new to biking seriously in the nyc streets, mostly in brooklyn for now. As I understand it, a U-lock would be better? The method I'm currently using is a kryptonite U-lock for back wheel and frame lock up with a cable for front wheel to frame, and for the seat well, I just have a bolt on there with some crap stuck in the hole so its a bit troublesome to stick a key in there. Is this good enough? I can't carry a fugghetabout it lol, its just too heavy and i'd go from my 15mph runs to probably 8mph.

I'm sorry about the NYPD, I remember being 14 and some ******bag closed lined me and took my bmxer but the police I found actually took down a report and complaint from in the car, using their computer or wateva. Supposedly you can get your bike registered with serial number and if its recovered they'll check the serial and return it to the owner.

While I don't think the nypd cares much about bikes, to my epic surprise, last week I went to the bike shop and one of the guys there actually just got a delivery from a cop who found his bike and delivered back to him. The guy was soooo happy lol. Supposedly the cop just checked the registry and contacted him. I was shocked and floored. I think it'll probably be the only time i ever hear of that happening but I'm glad it did.

I just stay away from cable locks. Their lighter but I tested one out with the cable cutters from my buildings janitor that he uses to cut the master locks from the lockers in the gym and he cut it in like 30 seconds tops. I was like OUCH! lol.

If you guys have any other tips or tricks, I'd like to hear it.

I'm a new rider but hopefully I can keep my bike with me at least until october lol.

v70cat

Sorry for your loss but the City seems to be in revenue mode.

They are focused on parking tickets and other money making quotas from the Mayor, here is another example:

The department of Sanitation for the second time in a row seems to be dropping garbage in the street instead of dumping it in the truck.
I call 311 and they tell me that it will take 5 to 7 days for the department to respond and if it is within 18 inches of the curb it is the buildings responsibility to clean it up and if we don't the building could get a ticket.

westBrooklyn

etherealglimpse,

here is a thread on bike locking tips in NYC from the singlespeed/fixed gear forum.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-Locking-Tips

I've been using the U-Lock and then a cable. U-Locks don't fit around everything, but this seems to be pretty good.

etherealglimpse

Thanks for the information. I'll definitely check that out.