A reply

Eru

I dont wish to hijack a thread so I am replying here:

doc1976 wrote: »

A guard passed me as I discovered my bike stolen from the top of Grafton St. He took down my details with the a pen that half worked and told me I'd receive a report in the post.

I fail to see what the state of his pen has to do with it, perhaps being used in rain or being old effected it? Either way, it worked. Did you have the serial with you? Its not an excuse as to how you were treated but still valid.

doc1976 wrote: »

I also said to him that it had to be caught on camera as there is cctv at the top of the street but that seemed like to much trouble to check. I offered to watch the cctv but was told no.

A, who owned the camera and how long was the footage for? We don't have the time to watch hours of footage, we don't have time to write a report before being thrown out the door by the bosses.
B, You are not allowed watch the footage, don't like it? Complain to the Data commissioner and the Judges who decide.

doc1976 wrote: »

Also, most recovered bikes on here seem to be due to the owners endeavour, rather than being reunited to them by the boys in blue.

Seriously? Is that a Joke? Because on the cycling forum of boards people talk about getting their bikes back you reach a conclusion that the percentage is on a certain favour? How dodgy a statement can you make? I will be sure to recommend that yet another Garda is taken of the streets to perform some PR duty and be appointed to boards.ie duty.

doc1976 wrote: »

Furthermore, it's my belief that these thefts are being done by an organised group. Just read the amount of post about the bikes stands being removed rather than the bike lock being cut and also that volume of bikes taken from garden sheds.

Most burglaries are commited on houses, don't mean organised crime. If you mean groups as in just certain people, your correct. Most bike thefts in Dublin are commited by a group less than 100 in size in my opinion but then so are most burglaries, muggings, etc.

doc1976 wrote: »

Can someone clarify if serial numbers are individual to the bike or just a batch number produced in production?

Serial numbers are always unique otherwise what would be the point in them? That statement suggests you did not know your bikes.

spikeprint wrote: »

To be fair Eru, I reported 4 bikes stolen, one that was hand spray painted with tiger strips, and all with their own identifiable quirks that I would recognise.

What you recognize is of no relevance, what we would recognise is what counts and you have to be realistic. Do you really want and expect gardai to stop every cyclist and examine their bikes? That said, tiger stripes are pretty easy to spot, perhaps the bike was chopped or sold further afield and 4 bikes, ouch that is a bitch.

spikeprint wrote: »

In the Bridewell Station the Guard took down the details on a scrap of paper, not a police report.

What exactly is an official police report? I have never seen one, seen and used plenty of paper to write on though.

spikeprint wrote: »

He seemed annoyed I was reporting that crime. Everytime I was told that nothing could be done and I would never see my bike again.

I get annoyed when I get reports without serial numbers and long long after the event took place or worse still, when its only for insurance claims. If you had no serial number then its true, your looking at tiny odds.

spikeprint wrote: »

I don't buy that nothing more could be done. There is one website with pictures of recovered garda bikes that hasn't been updated in a long time. Perhaps a thread here created by the Gardai would be of some benefit, rather than a pile of bikes sitting in a yard waiting to be auctioned off because no one has claimed them.

You attach a lot of importance to boards. Great site and all but its not the popular place you seem to believe. Other than that, Gardai are not and will not be paid to sit typing into a forum nor do I think the majority of people want them to.

spikeprint wrote: »

Or perhaps use some of these bikes as bait bikes, with some type of tracking devices fitted.

No such device exists that could be fitted to a bike without being seen nor is there the manpower to sit watching 1 bike out of thousands and it has actually been done where plain clothes Gardai have gone out on bikes. Didnt work because the scale of the problem is simple too large and bikes too scattered. Takes ten seconds to break a lock and then they are gone.

spikeprint wrote: »

If it was a spate of burglaries in an area it would would make the news. Some of these bikes cost up to €1,000, even more, and there is no strategy to stop it.

You dont know what strategies are in place and its not thousands of bikes from one set area, its acorss the city. You didnt know that Pearse and Store Street have plain clothes officers on bikes until I said it just now.

Guess what? Dublin is full of crime, stolen bikes, break ins, mugging, assault, drugs. We as Gardai said this would happen but our numbers were still reduced. I doubt you complained at the time.

if your bike is nicked its a bitch and you have every right to be annoyed, but gardai dont steal bikes, we dont decide numbers, crime strategies, law or sentences so direct that rage in the right direction please.

Inquitus

Can't wait for the CPA to go out the window so your bad attitude gets the renumeration it deserves.

Mycroft H

Fair play to yous ERU, I've seen this coming for a while since the public service recruitment embargo started. Mad to include emergency services.....

Moral of the story here folks keep your bikes out of site at home, locked with several quality locks and watch where you lock them in public.

ednwireland

just locked this will discuss with other mods