FREDERICK POLICE DEPARTMENT
100 West Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701
301-600-2100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2007

Bicycle Theft Increases

As part of The Frederick Police Department’s ongoing crime analysis efforts and information sharing initiatives, the Department wants to inform Frederick citizens that bicycles are being stolen at an increasing rate this summer.

Because they are so easily stolen, the department recommends that cyclists always lock their bikes. Bike theft is usually a crime of opportunity – so don’t present the opportunity. Leaving a bicycle unlocked and/or unattended for only a minute or two presents an easy opportunity for thieves.
Chain locks secured to fixed, immovable objects are most effective. The bicycle industry recommends the use of a lock and chain of tool-hardened steel. This means that cutting, sawing and drilling tools cannot penetrate it as they would ordinary steels. However, any lock can be picked, cut, or made brittle enough to shatter. The best deterrent is to remove the opportunity by keeping your bicycle in a secure area.
Painting or engraving your name or other identifier on your bike is also recommended. This way you can prove it’s yours. If it is stolen and recovered by the police, you can identify it. The Department also recommends you record your bicycle’s make, model and serial number.

Bicycle safety is also important. Bicyclists should always keep these safety rules foremost before or while riding:
• Protect Your Head: Always wear a helmet that complies with the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) standard. Bicyclists should select a helmet that fits snugly and sits flat on the head. For children, use the extra padding that comes with the helmet to ensure a proper fit. This padding can be removed as the child’s head grows.
• Assure Bicycle Readiness: Make sure your bicycle is adjusted properly. Before riding your bicycle, check to make sure all parts are secure and working well. The handlebars should be firmly in place and turn easily. Your wheels must be straight and secure.
• Check Your Brakes: Keep your brakes adjusted at all times. If you cannot stop quickly, consult your owner’s manual or have a bicycle shop adjust the brakes. When your hand brake levers are fully applied, they should not touch the handlebars. Each brake shoe pad should wear evenly and never be separated more than one eighth inch from the rim.
• Make Yourself Visible: Wear clothes that make you more visible to drivers such as neon, florescent, or other bright colors when riding a bicycle.
• Avoid Biking at Night: It is far more dangerous to bicycle at night than during the day. Most bicycles are equipped for daylight use and need to be adapted for nighttime use.
• Stay Alert: Always keep a lookout for obstacles in your path. Watch out for potholes, cracks, expansion joints, railroad tracks, wet leaves, drainage grates, or anything that could make you fall. Be especially careful in wet weather and when there could be ice or frost on your path.
• Always Ride in the Right Direction: Ride on the right side in a straight and predictable path. Always go single file in the same direction as other vehicles. Riding against traffic puts you where motorists don’t expect to see you, and may pull across your path, or turn into you.
• Check for Traffic: Always be aware of the traffic around you. Over 70 percent of car-bicycle crashes occur at driveways or other intersections. Before you enter any street or intersection, check for traffic. Always look left-right-left, and walk your bicycle into the street to begin your ride.
• Obey the Rules of the Road: Learn all traffic laws. Bicycles are considered vehicles and must obey the same rules. Read your state driver’s handbook, and follow all traffic signs, laws and rules for operating a vehicle on the road. Always signal your moves and be courteous to pedestrians and other vehicle operators.
• Close Quick Release Wheels: If your bicycle has quick release wheels, it is your responsibility to make sure they are firmly closed at all times and to use the safety retainer if there is one. Check your wheels before every ride, after any fall, or after transporting your bicycle. Read your owner’s manual for instructions and follow them.
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For further information, please contact Lt. Kevin V. Grubb at 301 600-1254.