Copiusmyo comment-76379 2012-11-28T01:00:42Z 2012-11-28T01:00:42Z Just make sure you got the right guy before street justice served. Copiusmyo 2012-11-28T01:00:42Z KES comment-76359 2012-11-27T18:49:12Z 2012-11-27T18:49:12Z I recently reported a property crime (graffiti on my home) to the Sac PD online, and it was extremely simple to do. Ask the 311 line for info on the correct contact for your situation. (311 also connected me with the graffiti abatement people-- I love you 311!) KES 2012-11-27T18:49:12Z Keith Sharward comment-76354 2012-11-27T18:06:49Z 2012-11-27T18:06:49Z The police department has, for well-intentioned reasons to preserve as much of its workforce for patrol duties, has created barriers to reporting crimes, especially low-level property crimes. As a result, a lot of people do not report the crimes -- not because they don't wish to, but because it has become such a hassle. Whereas in the past we had public service counters at each of the police stations where crime reports could be filed in person, the department now staffs only one counter at its headquarters building (the lobbies of all the police substations are locked 24x7). Also, whereas either police officers (full police powers) or community service officers (civilians) would often be dispatched to write crime reports for burglaries and thefts, all the community service officers were laid off and now victims are told to file their crime reports online on an especially cumbersome Web form. As a result, REPORTING of property crimes decreased -- but many believe ACTUAL crime increased. Ironically, higher crime statistics justifies growing the department, and it can be argued lower crime statistics indicate the department need not grow, and it is the act of shrinking the department that has had a direct impact on lowering the crime statistics because there are fewer people available with whom to actually file the reports. If our police department eliminated all support of crime reporting, we would have no crime at all -- at least on paper. Keith Sharward 2012-11-27T18:06:49Z cogmeyer comment-76347 2012-11-27T07:40:18Z 2012-11-27T07:40:18Z heJan Scully is absolutely one target we should go after. And the other solution is to go after city council members every time they take campaign cash from the SPOA. The job market sucks, and this is true for cops just like it is for construction workers. The cozy, non-confrontational relationship between the SPOA and the city council is the reason that Sac Police has continually laid off younger, cheaper cops in a time when it is a "buyers market" for police officers. The disproportionate reductions in police staffing levels has to be addressed by making noise and holding our city council responsible. cogmeyer 2012-11-27T07:40:18Z Bill Albertson comment-76272 2012-11-26T21:00:07Z 2012-11-26T21:00:07Z CCC, the only way police can verify bike ownership is if the owner can unlock his or her own bike. There is no central registry of bike serial numbers in Sacramento that the SacPD can check against. Bill Albertson 2012-11-26T21:00:07Z newguyinsac comment-76254 2012-11-26T16:37:01Z 2012-11-26T16:37:01Z Once again, failure to deal with the "little" things like property crime, bike theft, vagrancy, etc. is no doubt a causative effect on the increase in Sacramento violent crimes as recently noted by the New York Times. newguyinsac 2012-11-26T16:37:01Z Bill Albertson comment-76247 2012-11-25T22:44:51Z 2012-11-25T22:44:51Z I've had two bikes stolen the first three years of moving to midtown. Neighbors of ours moved, and had their entire household emptied, including their bikes. We've both made reports, but the cops really don't do anything about property crimes unless they are really high profile (you have connections or a news crew showed up) or violence was involved. My neighbors? They found who stole all their stuff because they had a pingback app on their computers and such. Cop response? We don't have resources to go arrest them. Yep, you can report a felony crime, track down the perp, put a bow on them and the POLICE WON'T SHOW UP. So, what to do about bike thefts in general? We need to get together and put some fire to the feet of police leadership and Jan Scully. They set the policy regarding police response, so they are responsible. It is one thing to say a department is understaffed, it is quite another to say you can't even be bothered to arrest felony criminals when the evidence was handed to you. Second, the City of Sacramento needs to start a bike registration program like the City of Davis. There are very few riders out there who know their bike's serial number. A registration program which both informs the police of what the use of the bike will be (business, commute, or recreation), the value of the bike, and key identifying features would be a good start. Second, the program could also serve to educate riders about their status as vehicles under the CVC, and give them a route map for the city so they aren't weaving all over J Street on the sidewalks (Capitol has bike paths, it is literally one block over). They could also be offered the opportunity to purchase a helmet as well. Most of this could be run online with a donated server- I'll even build it if the cops will run it! Because the city is going more bike centric, the importance of a good registration program to local commerce really should not be overlooked. Third, a bait bike program would go a long way toward preventing theft in the city, but that would require the support of the police and Scully. It also should publish pictures of the people caught taking the bikes, so that everyone else knows who they are, and therefore if their bikes are at risk if those criminals are lurking around them. I can't impress the negative impact having my bikes stolen made on my life- I literally couldn't get to work, and had to immediately lay out hundreds of dollars for a new bike that met my commute needs. If the program can't get traction with the city, it should be run by someone planning on replacing Scully in the next election. Seriously, any city attorney who doesn't get behind a bait bike program should have their job taken from them. Bill Albertson 2012-11-25T22:44:51Z Richard Hanson comment-76239 2012-11-23T22:29:31Z 2012-11-23T22:29:31Z This increasing bike theft is just a small part of a much bigger trend. I read in the newspaper a couple of years ago that car thieves don't get charged with a felony (and see jail time) until they steal their fourth or fifth car. The court and jail system are overwhelmed, and are being further stressed with the transfer of felons from the state prisons. Add to that declining local budgets and the pending release of tens of thousands of "non-violent" felons from state prison due to that court-ordered reduction. The situation will be getting worse. Richard Hanson 2012-11-23T22:29:31Z CCC comment-76189 2012-11-21T19:31:12Z 2012-11-21T19:31:12Z what does that mean-demonstrating a working lock? by the police? wierd. CCC 2012-11-21T19:31:12Z John Balchak comment-76177 2012-11-21T06:59:47Z 2012-11-21T06:59:47Z After losing two (2) Peugeot bikes this year (one of which I reported including the video specifics on the Safeway security camera) I decided that the state motto needs to be changed from "California - another car is coming" to "California - my bike just got stolen". All I can think to calm myself is that, to the homeless, we all look like the 1%. John Balchak 2012-11-21T06:59:47Z John Boyer comment-76157 2012-11-20T23:32:54Z 2012-11-20T23:32:54Z Having more police on the streets would help in so many ways. Someone recently was pulled over and asked to demonstrate the working lock on the bike! I applaud random checks like this. I may be in the minority on that one. John Boyer 2012-11-20T23:32:54Z Ryan Schauland (f.k.a. ryuns) comment-76156 2012-11-20T23:23:30Z 2012-11-20T23:23:30Z Interestingly, one of the companies making GPS equipment for consumer bikes and bait bikes is located just off Broadway: http://pegtech.com/products/gps-bicycle-tracking/spybike/product-information Agreed that this is a serious problem as Sacramento becomes a better and better place for bicyclists in most every other way. Ryan Schauland (f.k.a. ryuns) 2012-11-20T23:23:30Z John Boyer comment-76155 2012-11-20T23:11:00Z 2012-11-20T23:11:00Z great point. We should all question those selling bikes what the history of the bike is and if there is no specifics or time line of the history, one should refrain no matter how great the deal. Bad karma comes from being an accessory as well. John Boyer 2012-11-20T23:11:00Z John Boyer comment-76154 2012-11-20T23:03:24Z 2012-11-20T23:03:24Z I know it doesnt. but it has been going in a southern direction for months . I wanted to spark this discussion for some time now. I hope good policy can be forged by public debate. One thing is clear the punitive measures do not fit the crime. Perhaps the consideration is the "pettiness" of bike thievery is becoming a reality in our justice system itself. John Boyer 2012-11-20T23:03:24Z aztc comment-76145 2012-11-20T21:51:14Z 2012-11-20T21:51:14Z Key to the equation is the number of willing buyers for the stolen goods. Know someone who got a good deal on a stolen bike? Friends don't let friends buy stolen bikes. aztc 2012-11-20T21:51:14Z Pinto Girl comment-76139 2012-11-20T21:17:57Z 2012-11-20T21:17:57Z Riding a really crappy looking bike, with old rusted parts and no quick releases helps too. Pinto Girl 2012-11-20T21:17:57Z Pinto Girl comment-76137 2012-11-20T21:17:11Z 2012-11-20T21:17:11Z Yeh, during the Chalk it Up event at Fremont park I watched a homeless person take a bike to the 16th Street trolley station and try to sell it for eight dollars. He was bargained down to six and...sold! to two kids who were already on bikes. I asked him where he got it and he said he had "friends." I knew it was stolen, he knew it was stolen, the kids who bought it knew it was stolen. But how could that be proven? It didn't appear to have a license or anything on it. The reality of it is, bicycle theft and other crimes of convenience combine with scavenging, camping by the river, and Loaves and Fishes to support the homeless population. Pinto Girl 2012-11-20T21:17:11Z Brian Lambert comment-76136 2012-11-20T21:13:11Z 2012-11-20T21:13:11Z I am available for any sting op. Who is in? Also it is not "the store" usually - they are just renting the space. Park where its visible - what ever it takes. Brian Lambert 2012-11-20T21:13:11Z R.V. Scheide comment-76127 2012-11-20T20:38:50Z 2012-11-20T20:38:50Z In a recent Sacramento Bee story, the Bee found that the number of police call in the Midtown/Downtown area was holding steady for violent crime, but calls for property crimes had increased 8 percent. I wonder how much of this 8 percent is bicycle thefts? R.V. Scheide 2012-11-20T20:38:50Z cogmeyer comment-76091 2012-11-20T19:05:19Z 2012-11-20T19:05:19Z John, It doesnt have to be this way. A few thoughts: 1) There are relatively small number of criminals stealing these bikes, and they are very aware that Sacramento is prime area with no negative consequences if they get caught. 2) Grand Theft over $950 can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor or felony, it is the DA's choice on which charge to use. Jan Scully has conciously chosen not to pursue Grand Theft charges. 3) Our DA Jan Scully has ran unopposed in election after election. 4) The technology to setup GPS enabled "bait bikes" is readiliy and cheaply available to police and bike owners. You may even sell it at your shop. Owners of $2000 bikes may want to invest in it, as should the SacPD for use in bait bike activities. 5) Our SacPD regularly throws lower paid, junior officers under the bus during budget negotiations so that the old guard can hold onto their gold plated pension and health benefits. These junior officers would normally be tasked with activities like this. I would say this would be a great agenda topic for the MBA. Bike theft is really bad for business. Challenge the MBA to bring in Jan Scully and SacPD to discuss solutions. And challenge the MBA to take a position on the next DA election. cogmeyer 2012-11-20T19:05:19Z Imfmenace comment-73174 2012-09-04T15:09:21Z 2012-09-04T15:09:21Z starting at 8:30. 20 miles at a casual pace should be done at what time? Imfmenace 2012-09-04T15:09:21Z John Boyer comment-73117 2012-08-31T17:41:32Z 2012-08-31T17:41:32Z about 20 miles there and back. Very casual pace. John Boyer 2012-08-31T17:41:32Z kblock111 comment-73111 2012-08-31T03:06:08Z 2012-08-31T03:06:08Z How far is the ride? I'm a beginner rider! kblock111 2012-08-31T03:06:08Z TAB comment-67149 2012-04-30T06:08:40Z 2012-04-30T06:08:40Z Just read post. Missed swap. Hope it was a big success. You are the greatest John!!!! TAB 2012-04-30T06:08:40Z Lisa Ouellette comment-63590 2012-02-11T03:32:30Z 2012-02-11T03:32:30Z Terrific video; thanks for the link! Lisa Ouellette 2012-02-11T03:32:30Z John Boyer comment-63589 2012-02-11T01:39:00Z 2012-02-11T01:39:00Z the results are usually tragic. bad choices are rarely rewarded John Boyer 2012-02-11T01:39:00Z Lisa Ouellette comment-63580 2012-02-10T19:15:57Z 2012-02-10T19:15:57Z I would love to see downtown/midtown businesses invest in safer bicycle parking options. Even with the best lock, thieves can cart of the components of a bicycle in seconds. I've lost seats, wheels, even pedals... it's a real deterrent to cycling downtown to enjoy a quiet dinner at a cafe. A few well located bike-boxes would be nice, or businesses could just be more hospitable to allowing bikes to be brought inside. Lisa Ouellette 2012-02-10T19:15:57Z Brian Lambert comment-63558 2012-02-10T18:32:55Z 2012-02-10T18:32:55Z Lets do it here, count me in. Brian Lambert 2012-02-10T18:32:55Z Brian Lambert comment-63557 2012-02-10T18:30:47Z 2012-02-10T18:30:47Z I have seen many people purchase bikes, but dont plan/budget for locks. Brian Lambert 2012-02-10T18:30:47Z John Boyer comment-63551 2012-02-10T17:00:44Z 2012-02-10T17:00:44Z if you see this around town; http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2843374546.html John Boyer 2012-02-10T17:00:44Z latenite comment-63400 2012-02-07T20:19:16Z 2012-02-07T20:19:16Z I recommend checking out this humorous and informative video on proper bike locking from NYC Streetfilms. http://www.streetfilms.org/hal-grades-your-bike-locking/ latenite 2012-02-07T20:19:16Z cogmeyer comment-63336 2012-02-06T17:14:33Z 2012-02-06T17:14:33Z Interesting attitude that theft is the fault of the victim, not the perp. A perfect example of the lack of faith in local law enforcement. cogmeyer 2012-02-06T17:14:33Z John Boyer comment-63318 2012-02-05T18:19:43Z 2012-02-05T18:19:43Z new on line show on how to catch a bike thief(thieves) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MDjoq5h3ibY#! John Boyer 2012-02-05T18:19:43Z John Boyer comment-63317 2012-02-05T17:30:27Z 2012-02-05T17:30:27Z you are correct that our police force does not give bike theft a priority. Reason being is We are not doing enough in the private sector to PREVENT bike theft from proliferating. We don't lock up correctly and most of us are in cars insulated from the events on the street. John Boyer 2012-02-05T17:30:27Z John Boyer comment-63308 2012-02-05T07:27:19Z 2012-02-05T07:27:19Z Yes they do http://www.reuniteit.com/bicycle-security.aspx John Boyer 2012-02-05T07:27:19Z cogmeyer comment-63298 2012-02-05T03:13:33Z 2012-02-05T03:13:33Z Felony grand theft is a non-crime in the view of SacPD. Felony thefts of 10s of thousands of dollars will only get the poor victim a call in police report (and a chance to interact with a cranky union laborer who would rather not be bothered). Calling the police to report thefts only results in another propety value sapping on the crime map. cogmeyer 2012-02-05T03:13:33Z P W comment-63221 2012-02-03T23:25:14Z 2012-02-03T23:25:14Z Do they make LoJack for bikes? P W 2012-02-03T23:25:14Z Alex Huie comment-24367 2010-04-07T19:52:16Z 2010-04-07T19:52:16Z Thumbs up to you good sir! I'll get in touch with you about the BFF. Alex Huie 2010-04-07T19:52:16Z John Boyer comment-24360 2010-04-07T18:26:00Z 2010-04-07T18:26:00Z Also the Bicycle Film Festival is coming to town May 14th thru 16th at the Fremont Park but Ill leave the pros here to write about it. Brenda might boo me out of Sac Press! ;) Oh the power of the thumb! Its like the Colisium in Rome here! John Boyer 2010-04-07T18:26:00Z John Boyer comment-24359 2010-04-07T18:18:23Z 2010-04-07T18:18:23Z Your right, Alex is a pro Im just a bike lover spreading some love. Thanks for the constructive crit Brenda but a thumbs down? John Boyer 2010-04-07T18:18:23Z Brendawalsh comment-24351 2010-04-07T16:41:38Z 2010-04-07T16:41:38Z someone already wrote this article and they did a way better job Brendawalsh 2010-04-07T16:41:38Z Erik Johnson comment-24338 2010-04-07T03:08:25Z 2010-04-07T03:08:25Z It's not too early to register for May is Bike Month and find out what other events are coming up. Visit www.mayisbikemonth.com or find us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/mayisbikemonth). Erik Johnson 2010-04-07T03:08:25Z John Boyer comment-21895 2010-02-08T23:07:19Z 2010-02-08T23:07:19Z more from REI http://www.rei.com/stores/store_event_detail.jsp?pid=AD703D09EBDA0CCF50EA6178F0E1CE6B&template_id=14&template_family=webDetail&ignore_cache=1 John Boyer 2010-02-08T23:07:19Z bikeczar2008 comment-1623 2008-12-20T06:04:56Z 2008-12-20T06:04:56Z Please do not be so mean-spirited Mr. Greenspeed. You have said some very unkind comments toward our generous, happy, and free spirited cycling comrade who gracefully rides many hard earned miles on his beautiful orange bike. May your next fortune cookie reflect full-circle karma. bikeczar2008 2008-12-20T06:04:56Z greenspeed comment-766 2008-11-06T18:11:14Z 2008-11-06T18:11:14Z I saw the big orange bike with an old man riding it. Good for Steamers, going green and emplying the Geriatric Bicycle Population. Not only do they cut down on polution, but by putting the elderly on bikes they cut down on potential serious automobile accidents. greenspeed 2008-11-06T18:11:14Z Geoff Samek comment-672 2008-11-04T23:59:41Z 2008-11-04T23:59:41Z Glad you cam to write for the site John! I enjoyed this article and look forward to more. One note though, I noticed that all your tags were actually just one big tag. To fix this, simply click on the edit button next to "Your Tags" on the right hand side of the page. Once you see the tags make sure and put commas in between each tag. If you have any questions about how to do this feel free to post them here, or write me via support@sacramentopress.com Geoff Samek 2008-11-04T23:59:41Z