RECENT COMMENTS
Rash of scooter thefts continue
Word that 2 more scooters have been stolen in the area:
The olive Buddy 50 stolen from 25th Street a couple of weeks ago was stolen AGAIN last night. this time the thieves didn’t bother to cut the lock. They cut through the frame of the scooter, and left the entire lock and piece of the frame on the sidewalk.
At some point in the last 48 hours, a black Genuine Roughhouse was stolen from a parking garage at 2200 E Cary St. not sure if they cut through the lock or through the fence that the scooter was locked to. Scooter had a white 3/4 helmet under the seat of the scoot (although there is probably only a 50% chance of the thieves wearing the helmet that was under there–the suspicious folks that I have seen lately have been wearing full face helmets, black, with the face shield totally missing). Owner is checking into the possibility of the garage having a security camera.
I was completely blown away to see it had returned to the exact same spot.
Looks like a lot of people were right about that location! Can’t believe they cut through the frame… wouldn’t that effectively ruin the bike?
The owner of the olive Buddy 50 fortified her security strategy to the point that we all thought it was pretty well situated. Blows my mind to see frames getting cut.
Cutting the frame will make that Buddy 50 instantly recognizable. Additionally, I wouldn’t recommend having 2 people ride on that scoot as is. Bad bad things might happen.
There was a Buddy 125 stolen from the Mosby area around the same time as the initial theft of this Buddy 50. That scooter was recovered when the police responded to a burglary call. When recovered, the scooter had the exact same frame damage. It’s very unusual. We’ve never seen that happen before, and now to have it happen to 2 bikes is strange.
No matter how many locks you have and how heavy duty they are, the importance of having motorcycle insurance cannot be overstated. The trick is to identify your vehicle as being a motorcycle. If you tell the insurance-folk that it is a scooter, they are not going to give you a good or accurate quote.
Thanks for the pics! 😉
What a bummer! I just walked by that scooter a couple of days ago. I was impressed at how strong the lock and chain looked. That idea about a bait bike is sounding better and better.
Seems that this town has some lazy thieves. Bicycles are pretty safe! Seems that they have no interest in transportation that requires effort.
“Additionally, I wouldn’t recommend having 2 people ride on that scoot as is. Bad bad things might happen.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if the thieves did put 2 people on for a ride? They would certainly get what they deserved!
Hide your furniture, hide your plants, and hide your scooters because they stealin’ everything up here.
Would it be wrong to arm the bait bike with a small amount of explosives? Just tuck it under the seat. Rig it to go off once the bike hits about 10mph. Just use enough to knock the bastards off the bike. Man would that be fun to have on video.
I emailed the BaitBike folks for info. Here is their response:
The total cost depends on whether or not your local police are already using
a system called ETS. This is a general law enforcement tracking system that
many larger police departments have been using for quite some time. If they
are currently using ETS, then the cost is about $500, plus the cost of a
bike which we do not supply. If they do not have ETS in Richmond, then the
complete system cost is about $7,200. The system can be used to track much
more than bicycles as well. In fact, just about anything of value that gets
stolen can be equipped with the device, but bikes are my favorite as they
are easy to spot, they lure the bad guys in to target that specific item,
and they are hard to hide once stolen.
Jason Cecchettini
President
Pegasus Technologies, Inc.
Sacramento California USA
Phone (916) 920-3274
So, are we as a community willing to invest that money? (I am.) And how does anyone know if the RPD already has an ETS system?
Well, obviously we have some thieves in Church Hill. They’re stealing your furniture, they’re snatching up your scooters…
Come on guys, the obvious answer is to just stop giving them something to steal. The quickest and best solution is to sell your scooters and start using some less conspicuous. They can’t steal what isn’t there!
FanRat,
Honestly? Since we have thieves in the area, the folks with scooters should sell them? That may be the quickest solution but not the best IMHO. I’ve had things stolen out of my yard before and why should I have to get rid of things that I have purchased for my yard because we have some asshole thugs stealing shit?
Granted, the police can’t be everywhere but they need to patrol more and when folks like this are arrested they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
People work hard for what they want, why give it up because someone might steal it?
So what is the lowest price bike?
Or can someone donate one to become the bait bike> ( Seibert / or the police if they have one not claimed and ready to go to auction?)
Sounds like a good idea for all the community associations to chip in to purchase…
I am sure CHA can since last month $400 was donated for children gardens.
How is selling your things a good solution to theft? Why should good people suffer because bad people want a free ride?
EDS #14, that is a great idea! CHA should help with the bait bike cost, that would go a long way in my book towards putting a crimp in these thefts!
James,
My point exactly!
#10: I talked to someone tonight who actually called the police dept. The non-emergency number person said there are some issues with judges in some courts who think it’s entrapment. The person then was told to talk to First Precinct, who said, yes, they DO have ETS, and YES, they would use the device if provided. So the cost for the device would be the lower figure, around $500.
I still like the comment in #14, re. asking the Church Hill Association to put forth that money – they have as one of their objectives for this years action items something about reducing crime. But someone else suggested that the Church Hill Crime Watch might be interested, as they *might* have funds for a reward program that could be put towards this device.
So, here’s my thoughts – how about some concrete suggestions, from my fellow bloggers here, as to how to pay for the device, but more importantly, where does the bait bike/scooter come from? Anyone got some ideas? The energy is already there to figure out where to get the money – thoughts are welcome, but the bait scooter is a problem – suggestions? Concrete ones? Please? Thanks!
Scooter stolen? No insurance? Waa waa waa. This is a legitimate option.Do this or be a victim. http://www.lojack.com/motorcycle/pages/motorcycle-works.aspx
From Lojack’s FAQ: “Can LoJack be installed on off-road motorcycles?
The LoJack unit has been designed to be installed in on-highway motorcycles and has been environmentally tested to perform in riding conditions associated with on-highway usage. **Due to vehicle battery size and riding conditions, LoJack does not recommend that the unit be installed on ATV, dirt or scooter motorcycles.** If the unit is installed in these motorcycles, the warranty will be void due to improper installation.”
Who Dat #19, LoJack is not for scooters, and this thread is about stolen scooters.
#20,
This thread is about scooters. What you posted is about off-road motorcycles.
Word that the black Roughhouse has been recovered…
Scoot Richmond says a Roughhouse was recovered today. Great work to all involved.
On the Green Buddy- I hate to admit it but I bet this time it was revenge for thwarting the first attempt. That fact that they cut through the frame leads me to believe they were sending a message. So sad. Hope that one is recovered as well.
Apparently 2 scooters from the Museum District were recovered behind a dumpster near the airport. Maybe that’s where they dump a lot of scooters?
Is it common for them to be dumped after being stolen? Are they stolen for fun or are they stripped for parts?
BaitBike provides the equipment, you provide the bike. They suggest that you use a bicycle/scooter/etc. that is valued at over $1,000 as this automatically makes the theft a felony. In some instances, it also gives the police probably cause to search the residence, which can turn up other stolen property, drugs, etc.
And maybe I’m being naive, but I feel that entrapment would require a police officer, etc. to stand next to the bike and say “hey, someone should take this bike…it doesn’t belong to anyone…someone’s just going to steal it later anyway.” Honest people don’t take unattended valuable items – criminals do.
Side note – my husband and I watched “Bait Car” on TV last night. Same theory, but they use cars. It is AMAZING how quickly people will steal something that is unattended. And most of them had other outstanding warrants. The Bait Bike could truly help lower crime in our area.
By my count, if everyone who posted on this article chipped in around $30, it would pay for the Bait Bike system. Then we just need to get someone to donate the bike/scooter. Maybe the neighborhood associations could all chip in on that.
“Honey Bike” is a solution… but please note that I’m NOT advocating you do it.
Just wondering if we know whether the bikes that have been stolen were DMV-registered or not? As an aside, my wife thinks she saw someone checking out my scooter last night. Could registration be a deterrent?
#26 – what’s Honey Bike? Just curious.
#21 – I cut and pasted from the LoJack site. It says that you cannot use LoJack on a “scooter motorcycle.” Also not on dirt bikes. That’s the way I understand the rules. If I’m wrong, please contact LoJack and post back here, as I’m sure there are some folks who might use their system. Thanks.
Anybody ever try a Zoombak GPS tracking device? Just $75 at Amazon: http://amzn.to/a52Hvp
A Crackhead Explains How To Keep Your Bike From Being Stolen
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/09/crackhead-bike-thief-how-to-keep-.php