Page 4 August 23 , 2012 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Police Reports A Student’s Perspective The crimes listed are crimes where a re- entry, ransacks and takes property/safe. Don’t Steal My Bike! port was taken by law enforcement agency Burglary-Auto: 2300 BLOCK SANTA and submitted for investigation. The out- FE AVE Suspect(s) smashes window for By Glen Abalayan, are relatively simple to track. The lack of come of the investigation or any criminal entry, ransacks and takes property/CD player, Torrance High School Student a proper location to place a bicycle is also court proceeding are not considered when speaker, amplifier, cash. According to Wired.com, cycling is to blame because of the fact that a simple reporting crimes. The crimes are listed as Auto Theft-All: 2000 BLOCK ARTESIA approaching another golden age. With chain is the only object preventing a thief follows: arson, simple assault, aggravated BLVD Stolen vehicle: ‘05 Chevrolet Van. the increase in the number of high quality from stealing a bike. Unfortunately, most assault-weapon, auto theft, auto burglary, augusT 8 bikes for affordable prices, more people of the chains used by cyclists can be easily commercial burglary, residential burglary, Burglary-Auto : 2400 BLOCK are choosing to use cycling as their broken by a determined individual with a homicide, strong-arm robbery, robbery with SEPULVEDA BLVD Suspect(s) smashes favored form of transportation. But as the pair of $15 wire cutters. a weapon, theft and vandalism. The City of window for entry and takes property/ number of bikes on the road increases, But cyclists are now retaliating against Torrance, or its employees or agents, shall Auxiliary cable. so does the audacity of potential bike bike thieves. A video posted on August 14 assume no liability for: 1. Any errors, omis- Vandalism: 2500 BLOCK CABRILLO thieves. Compared to the petty bike on YouTube showed how far a man can go sions, or inaccuracies in the information AVE Suspect(s) uses spray paint to damage thieves of yesteryear, today’s thieves retrieve his stolen bicycle. The owner of provided regardless of how caused; or 2. Any the exterior of 7 separate vehicles. form criminal networks to plan heists, the bicycle, a user by the name of “Simon decision made or action taken or not taken Burglary-Auto : 5300 BLOCK rob homes and steal thousands of dollars Jackson,” posted a video of how he travelled by reader in reliance upon any information CARMELYNN ST Suspect(s) enters vehicle worth of bicycles. The theft of bicycles 160 miles to catch the person responsible for or data furnished hereunder. by unknown means and takes property/camera, from individuals and dealerships needs stealing his bicycle. Jackson even organized Compiled by Cristian Vasquez third row seat. to be stopped in order to prevent it his own sting when he asked the thief where augusT 11 Vandalism: 3900 BLOCK 238TH ST from hindering the growth of cycling’s he got the bike and showed him evidence Vandalism: 21900 BLOCK WESTERN Suspect(s) punctures victims vehicle’s tire. popularity and discouraging potential that he did in fact steal the bicycle. Law AVE Suspect(s) smashes victim’s vehicle’s Auto Theft-All: 22000 BLOCK cyclists from reaping its many benefits. enforcement has also decided to catch bike side window/no entry, no loss. HAWTHORNE BLVD Stolen vehicle: ‘98 A popular subcategory on a site named thieves at their own game by strapping GPS Burglary Auto: 4300 BLOCK REDONDO Acura Integra. Reddit briefly summarizes this view. In its devices on trap bikes and arrest anyone BEACH BLVD Suspect(s) smashes window Burglary-Commercial: 4300 BLOCK bicycling subcategory (otherwise known as attempting to run away with the trap bike. for entry and takes property/purse. REDONDO BEACH BLVD Suspect(s) pries a “subreddit”), the front page is filled with Ordinary citizens are also doing their part in augusT 10 open door, unable to defeat second door’s users submitting photos of renovated bikes, preventing bike theft by educating cyclists Burglary Auto: 2500 BLOCK AIRPORT lock/no entry, no loss. state-of-the art cycles and videos of their through classes and videos and keeping an DR Suspect(s) enters vehicle via unlocked Theft: 20300 BLOCK ANZA AVE daily commute. The user-submitted content eye out for thieves. But even with all the door, ransacks, and takes property/iPod. Suspect(s) cuts lock securing property to of the front page shows the brighter side of added support cyclists are receiving through Arson: 1800 BLOCK ANDREO AVE pillar and takes same/bicycle. cycling and cements the fact that cycling outside sources, they should not be dependent Suspect(s) set fire to trash can. augusT 6 is approaching another golden age. But on these sources and still focus on keeping Battery-Simple: 20900 BLOCK ANZA Vandalism: PENNSYLVANIA AVE & the subreddit also shows the darker side their bike protected at all costs. AVE Suspect kicks and punches victim 233RD ST Suspect uses spray paint to damage of cycling, as it is littered with photos of With the introduction of quicker and multiple times. victim’s vehicle’s exterior. recently stolen bikes, the lamentations of more effective ways to steal a bike, cyclists augusT 9 Vandalism: 18200 BLOCK ASHLEY theft victims and news reports of entire must rely on more than just a bike lock Theft: 2000 BLOCK 184TH ST Suspect(s) AVE Suspect(s) shoot projectiles at victim’s dealerships being robbed of thousands of to protect his bicycle. Unfortunately, a takes property from victim’s vehicle exterior/4 residence window causing damage to same. dollars worth of cycles. An example of such pair of $15 wire cutters can easily break rims, 4 tires. Burglary-Residential: 3400 BLOCK an event happened in August when thieves simple chains and locks. To add another Theft: 18300 BLOCK TAYLOR CT 224TH ST Suspect(s) attempts to pry open robbed over a hundred thousand dollars level of protection, cyclists should invest Suspect(s) takes property from victim’s front door/no entry, no loss. worth of bicycles. in a “U-Lock,” or a chain from the same vehicle exterior/spare tire. Burglary-Auto: 2600 BLOCK SKYPARK The August 11 edition of the Canberra company. A good rule of thumb is to spend Theft: 2900 BLOCK SEPULVEDA BLVD DR Suspect(s) smashes window for entry Times shows how lucrative today’s bike 20 percent of your bike’s worth in keeping Suspect(s) takes property from two separate and takes property/cash. thieves are. The article reported a story of it protected. It is also advisable for cyclists unlocked lockers/cell phones. Vandalism: 21000 BLOCK WESTERN how 26 high-end Trek bicycles were stolen to lock their bike along its frame instead of Battery-Simple: 4200 BLOCK 181ST ST AVE Suspect(s) cause damage to victim’s from a locked trailer near the Trek offices its spokes whenever possible because thieves Suspect repeatedly punches victim in head vehicle’s door panel exterior by unknown in Fyshwick, Australia. The bicycles stolen can easily detach the wheel and steal the and upper body and uses a leash to strike means. were top-of-the-line Trek racing bicycles more expensive frame. It is much easier to victim’s face. Burglary-Residential: 2600 BLOCK each costing over $10,000. In less than replace a stolen wheel than the entire rear Burglary-Auto: 4200 BLOCK REDONDO 176TH ST Suspect(s) defeats door lock for two hours, the thieves managed to steal one end of the bicycle. BEACH BLVD Suspect(s) defeats vehicle’s entry and ransacks/no loss at time of report. hundred $183,000 worth of bikes, devastating In the case of a theft, cyclists should door lock for entry and takes property/cell Theft: 2700 BLOCK LOMITA BLVD Simon Thompson, the company’s marketing have pictures of their bike beforehand phone. Suspect(s) enters open office and takes manager. The daring raid of the famous along with registering its serial number. The Burglary Residential: 2500 BLOCK unsecured property from underneath desk/ bicycle distributor cannot have been achieved serial number is usually located under the 164TH ST Suspect(s) smashes window for cash, bank cards. by just one man and showed bike thefts’ bike’s crank. It is important to document a evolution from a simple job to something bike’s serial number so that the owner has straight out of Ocean’s Eleven. feasible proof that the bike is his. It is also Bike thieves are even resorting to home advisable to attach a GPS to the bike to robbery to get what they want. In a May 8 easily retrieve it if the bicycle gets stolen. article of the Los Angeles Times, bike thieves Newer versions of GPS technology can fit robbed Jet Tanner’s home and went away under the bike’s seat or reflector and can with his daughter’s custom-made bicycle send a text if it senses movement. Taking worth over $5,000. According to police, these precautions prevents bike theft and bike thieves are now using sites such as makes a thief dedicate more time to steal Craigslist and Facebook to acquire more it, and thus blows his cover. thousand-dollar bicycles. The thieves who With the increased demand for bicycles, were arrested knowingly used fake aliases so grows the amount of thieves trying to contact the owner and obtain the owner’s to make a quick buck. The accessibility home address. of bicycles and their owners’ lack of The rise in bike sales and popularity protection make bicycles one of the fastest is in direct correlation to the increase in growing objects in underground markets. It bike thefts. Compared to robbing items of is the cyclist’s responsibility to be properly equal value, such as jewelry or small cars, educated in keeping their bike safe from bicycles are the easiest object to steal. the greedy hands of thieves. With the The average bike thief would only need a ever-evolving methods of stealing bicycles, minute to break a bike lock and only needs cyclists should always stay one step ahead a few days to sell it on the Internet or flea of their malevolent counterparts and markets. Compare this to jewelry, which educate others from becoming victims of requires an intricate plan, or cars, which this selfish crime. • HARRY’S & MCCOY’S MOVING Family Owned & Operated for 65 Years Discount to All Torrance Residents • Time Starts At Your Door The Jewelry Source • FREE Use of Boxes & Wardrobes• Guaranteed Price/Single Item Moves 337 Main St. El Segundo. 310-322-7110 (310) 329-3493 – Free Estimateswww.jewelrysourceUSA.com©2007Licensed & Insured – CAL-T-160-989
Torrance 8.23.12
To see the actual publication please follow the link above