My week since my bike was stolen

spida · 13-01-2013 11:31am #1

Before I start may I say, I’m aware that my case is not as serious as a personal assault, etc. and that Garda resources are tight at the moment. I only wanted the smallest of actions from the Gardaí involved and there was potential to take what may be a serial burglar out of action.

I was out of town Friday & Saturday the 4th and 5th of January. When we got back late Saturday night my wife and I put our son to bed then soon afterwards went to bed ourselves. On Sunday, as I was putting our Christmas tree out on the balcony when I noticed something was wrong. It took a few seconds to click that my bicycle, which was always on the balcony had been stolen. We live on the 1st floor and not somewhere that a lorry could be backed up to jump from the roof, so the thief had made a daring climb to get to it.

I called the local Garda Station and detective was dispatched to survey the scene and take my details. At my suggestion, she agreed to call to the neighbours downstairs and ask if they’d heard anything over the weekend. They hadn’t. They checked their balcony for their exercise stepper and it was there. The detective left her card and let me know that she’d be in a different station for the next two days and then would be off for 4 days but to leave a message if I needed to. I really didn’t expect to be calling at all.

After ringing the Gardaí, I had also contacted the BikeRegister.ie website. I previously registered my bike with them so that if it was ever stolen, I would at least have a record of the serial number should it ever be retrieved by the Gardaí. Unfortunately, the website didn’t have any login or other way for me to retrieve the details so I just had to send them a message and wait for working hours Monday morning. I told the detective this and she said she’d call me during the week to get the serial number of my bike from me.

Monday morning and I had a reply to my query from the BikeRegister.ie site. They suggested I call the police and file a report and also suggested I put alerts on the websites which allow people to sell to one-another so that if the thief went to sell my bike I’d get an alert.

I put alerts on 4 sites, the fifth site I found had no alert system so I kept a copy of the search URL so that I could check back easily. By now I was getting frustrated at how little I could do and how little the police felt they could do so I started scouring the web for email addresses for Dublin’s bicycle shops so as to send them all a flyer with the details of my bike, asking them to be on the lookout. It turns out that many of Dublin’s bicycle shops have no internet presence beyond a phone number in the phone-book website.

Tuesday morning I woke to the news that we’d caught a break! One of my alerts emailed me to say that a bike of the same make and model as mine was up for sale. I called the police station and asked for a detective. At first I was told the detective looking after my case was not due on duty until 8pm that evening and only she could look into this ad further. I was stunned. I tried to explain that even being 2nd in the queue could be the difference between a quick solve of a case and my never seeing my bike again. Due to my persistence the Garda on duty eventually agreed to transfer my call to the detective office and there I spoke to another detective who had heard mention of my case. I explained the situation to him and he said he’d look into posting a message the meet the seller. He couldn’t do it immediately as he does not have Internet access at his desk. I asked for his email address to forward him the information and he gave me a GMail address to mail him at.

I checked later to find that he had in fact posted a comment asking the seller for a phone number to contact him/her on. Unfortunately as time went on, there appeared to be no contact from the seller and other people started posting messages expressing interest and then making offers. When I got up on Thursday morning it was to find that the asking price had been offered.

Having been told by the detective I was now dealing with that going through any official channel to contact the website and maybe get the poster’s IP address etc. was too time-consuming; I contacted the website myself on Thursday morning at around 10:30. They got back to me quickly with their procedures in such situations and informed me that a letter was needed, either posted or faxed and signed by a Superintendant. I forwarded this email to both detectives I had been dealing with. The website asked for the ad and assured me that they would not remove it. I didn’t want it removed as that would be the last I’d see of my bike. I gave them the link to the ad and they told me that the poster had not responded to any of messages received (great news). They then suggested that I post a PM (Private Message) to the seller saying I had cash and could meet them anywhere, rather than asking for their details. I informed the detective of this suggestion by email, having no intention of meeting the burglar myself, and asked if he could do something about it. I left two phone and two email messages for him on Thursday. I got no replies, only being told each time that he was out in the car.

By Friday mid-day, I had still not heard from the detective. At this point I contacted the Superintendent of the Garda station to discuss the lack of action on my case which I still believed was easily solvable with minimum time and effort. There was also the fact that the seller had sold another bike and was in process of selling a third all of which may be stolen. The superintendent’s assistant asked me to forward the relevant emails. I did so. She then replied to me saying that she had forwarded them to the detective that I had been dealing with and that he would call me shortly.

When I eventually got to speak to the detective, he suggested I post the message on the website and that I let him know if a meeting was arranged. This was not great as he was due to be off-duty at 8pm and could not assure me that someone else would be able to take his place if the seller set a time/place after that. I discussed the website’s suggestions/procedures with him and he told me that even for his one Superintendent to sign a fax to the website would take a few days as such signatures have to pass through a central clearing system. As this was Friday it would take too long. The Superintendent would be going home at 6pm and even though it was only 2pm it would just not be possible to get the signature done in 4 hours. Not for the first time, I was left dumbfounded.

Unwilling to let my bike go I got back on to the Superintendent’s assistant and asked her if there was anything that could be done. She said she was busy and could she call me back. I never heard from her again.

Relenting, I decided to log on to the site and set up the meeting. To my shock the seller got straight back to me, despite the trail of public messages that were being ignored. I got back on to the detective and he told me he’d be on until 8pm and could meet anywhere. I asked the seller to meet. He asked for a phone number so I got on to the detective and he gave me the only phone number in the station that does not start with the usual Garda (01) 666... which I suggested might be a bit of a give-away. That was the Superintendent’s company mobile. All were briefed and I left it in their capable hands. 7:30pm Friday evening I got a message to say that the detective had left for the day and so far there had been no contact from the seller. Saturday morning I woke to find that the ad had been marked as “Sold”. I called the Garda station to find that nobody there was aware of what was going on or whether my bike was on the premises.

Hope fades.

Suggestions welcome.

Procrastastudy · 13-01-2013 11:32am

I've submitted assignments shorter than this.

So all this has been over a bike the same make and model of yours. Why didn't you just go out and see if it was yours?

PS Well paragraphed - I have to say at least it was easy to read.

guttenberg · 13-01-2013 11:40am

I'd lodge a complaint with the Garda Ombudsman. You(or a friend who knows it) should have arranged to view the bike to ensure it was definitely yours.

spida · 13-01-2013 12:15pm

guttenberg wrote: »

I'd lodge a complaint with the Garda Ombudsman.

On Tuesday I actually got a call from some Garda representative to say that my case was being worked on and I had been written to with details, did I have any questions. I didn't at the time and the letter arrived to let me know the name of the detective on my case. Unfortunately the letter was incorrect, saying she was posted ot a different station from either of the two stations she quoted to me and giving a blank telephone number for the station it said she was posted to!

guttenberg wrote: »

You(or a friend who knows it) should have arranged to view the bike to ensure it was definitely yours.

Problem with going along to see if it was mine was that I'd have to have turned it upside-down to see the serial number. By which time the guy would probably have guessed who I was. Short of biring a few big lads with baseball bats, I didn't see this as a good option.

Procrastastudy · 13-01-2013 1:30pm

spida wrote: »

Problem with going along to see if it was mine was that I'd have to have turned it upside-down to see the serial number. By which time the guy would probably have guessed who I was. Short of biring a few big lads with baseball bats, I didn't see this as a good option.

Or a mobile phone with the 9 key. I'm sorry but I really can't see the Gardai getting IP addresses ect with the very weak circumstantial evidence you had. It would have been different if you'd have confirmed it was your bike.

MagicSean · 13-01-2013 1:36pm

spida wrote: »

On Tuesday I actually got a call from some Garda representative to say that my case was being worked on and I had been written to with details, did I have any questions. I didn't at the time and the letter arrived to let me know the name of the detective on my case. Unfortunately the letter was incorrect, saying she was posted ot a different station from either of the two stations she quoted to me and giving a blank telephone number for the station it said she was posted to!

Problem with going along to see if it was mine was that I'd have to have turned it upside-down to see the serial number. By which time the guy would probably have guessed who I was. Short of biring a few big lads with baseball bats, I didn't see this as a good option.

Detectives can be reassigned between stations in a district. Give the district office a ring and inform them of the mistake on the letter. They are filled in automatically so there's is obviously a mistake in the station details on file. They won't know unless someone tells them.

If what you said in your OP is true then it sounds like the investigation is bigger than just your own bike and it is unlikely they will compromise it by keeping you up to date step by step. While it might seem easily solvable to you, you are looking at it from the perspective of getting your bike back, they will be looking at it from the perspective of prosecuting the thief and recovering all the bikes.

NoQuarter · 13-01-2013 2:39pm

If you wanted the bike back you should have arranged to meet the seller and brought out a few lads with you to wait close by and gave them the nod if it was your bike. You could have easily done that. And so what if you had to turn it upside down, if it turns out it wasnt your bike, you could have explained to the seller, and if it was your bike, happy days. Then you have the bike, your friends come out of the wood work. Then caall the cops and follow the seller to whereever they go. Easy. you made it difficult in my opinion.

spida · 13-01-2013 4:09pm

MagicSean wrote: »

Detectives can be reassigned between stations in a district. Give the district office a ring and inform them of the mistake on the letter. They are filled in automatically so there's is obviously a mistake in the station details on file. They won't know unless someone tells them.

Will do. That's a good idea.

MagicSean wrote: »

If what you said in your OP is true then it sounds like the investigation is bigger than just your own bike and it is unlikely they will compromise it by keeping you up to date step by step.

There must be something in the way I phrased the text of my OP to make you think that the Detectives (or anyone else from the Gardai) had anything more than passive interest in any of the leads that I generated and passed on to them.

@MagicSean please quote the part of my OP that lead you to say that they were interested in this seller?

Tom Young · 13-01-2013 7:12pm

A handling and/possession charge may arise as against the seller - who can also be traced.

MagicSean · 13-01-2013 8:52pm

spida wrote: »

Will do. That's a good idea.

There must be something in the way I phrased the text of my OP to make you think that the Detectives (or anyone else from the Gardai) had anything more than passive interest in any of the leads that I generated and passed on to them.

@MagicSean please quote the part of my OP that lead you to say that they were interested in this seller?

You mentioned that he has been selling more than one bike so it sounds like he might be involved in more than one burglary.

Zambia · 13-01-2013 8:55pm

OP the fact is you do not know the bike on sale is yours.

In all fairness did you consider going to see the bike and then once you have had a look at the serial number and confirmed it yours. Make your excuses stating you need to go and get cash from the banklink.

Now as your seller is there ring 999 and ask for Police to attend piont out your bike thief/seller and show the attending members your proof. They should arrest the seller on your statement that the bike is yours and was stolen.

It would take half the time than ringing detectives from here there and everywhere trying to have them chase down this lead for you.

Disregard this crap about bringing people to beat the crap out of your thief. Chances are he/she knows the address where they stole the bike from.

NoQuarter · 13-01-2013 9:07pm

Zambia wrote: »

Disregard this crap about bringing people to beat the crap out of your thief. Chances are he/she knows the address where they stole the bike from.

Who said that?!?!

Zambia · 13-01-2013 9:11pm

I thought you did but on checking you are just bringing a load of mates for protection it seems.

My apologies

NoQuarter · 13-01-2013 9:32pm

Zambia wrote: »

I thought you did but on checking you are just bringing a load of mates for protection it seems.

My apologies

Thought as much. No worries.

spida · 13-01-2013 11:42pm

MagicSean wrote: »

You mentioned that he has been selling more than one bike so it sounds like he might be involved in more than one burglary.

Ok, yep. I was the one who found that he was selling more than one bike by tracing his username on the website. That didn't come from the Gardai.

Zambia wrote: »

In all fairness did you consider going to see the bike and then once you have had a look at the serial number and confirmed it yours. Make your excuses stating you need to go and get cash from the banklink.

Yes, I did consider doing something like that. Then I pictured myself in a car-park with this guy, turning the bike upside down and he coping who I was... call me chicken but I'd prefer if a Garda did that bit.:rolleyes:

Zambia · 14-01-2013 12:00am

spida wrote: »

Yes, I did consider doing something like that. Then I pictured myself in a car-park with this guy, turning the bike upside down and he coping who I was... call me chicken but I'd prefer if a Garda did that bit.:rolleyes:

Do you know anyone who likes doing this sort of stuff all they need is a Photo of the bike and the serial number. As no Quarter said no need to go alone. There is also no need to grab him for the Garda either.

In most cases the bloke will just do a 180 and run, there are more bikes out there to steal no point risking a pitched battle for this one.

There is also the option of Just getting on the bike to test it and riding away....:D

spida · 14-01-2013 12:05am

Zambia wrote: »

There is also the option of Just getting on the bike to test it and riding away....:D

Hahaha, love it!

It's just not me though. Anyway, unless someone has an idea about where to go next, I can see this being the end of the road.

dahamsta · 14-01-2013 12:09am

I have to ask, it's killing me: How much did the bike cost?

Zambia · 14-01-2013 12:10am

I completely respect that but would anyone else volunteer?

Zambia · 14-01-2013 12:16am

You see any detective you find will be overworked and in the current climate possibly having to chase more than just your case.

As good as your lead is it still has to stack up against their workload. The lead on the face of it is you have found a bike that matches yours for sale around the time yours was stolen.

If this is not your bike are you going to ask a detective to meet with every person that puts a bike up for sale matching yours?

eoinkildare · 14-01-2013 5:29pm

OP, if indeed you saw that bike exactly matched your bike then I feel you got a poor service from the Gardai. BUt you haven't clarified whether you were able to see if it matched your bike exactly as far as I can see.
Most bikes have something which makes them recognisable such as a bottle cage, light, bell etc... Did yours?

A lot of Guards would jump at the opportunity to follow up on this case if they thought they would catch the offender in possession of a stolen bike with an injured party there to make a statement.

You were unlucky from what I can see.

Eoin

spida · 21-01-2013 10:24pm

eoinkildare wrote: »

OP... you haven't clarified whether you were able to see if it matched your bike exactly

I have the serial number. One of the parts of the bike has also been replaced so I would be able to tell without turning the bike upside down.

Name Changed · 21-01-2013 10:36pm

I don't know exactly how Garda procedure would work, but there seems to be absolutely no evidence that the bike for sale was your bike. It was the same make and colour but that's it?

As I said, I don't know, but I would presume that for the Garda to go and check people's ip addresses that they would need some kind of warrant, and to acquire such a warrant they would have to go to a Judge to get one, and to get one from that Judge they would have to have some kind of evidence of which there is absolutely none.

spida · 21-01-2013 10:47pm

Name Changed wrote: »

I don't know exactly how Garda procedure would work, but there seems to be absolutely no evidence that the bike for sale was your bike. It was the same make and colour but that's it?

Yes. Whether or not it was mine could be confirmed once the bike was looked at on meeting the seller.

Name Changed wrote: »

As I said, I don't know, but I would presume that for the Garda to go and check people's ip addresses that they would need some kind of warrant

No. What they need is a letter, signed by a Superintendant and faxed to the company.

hearny · 21-01-2013 10:56pm

Contact the site it was marked as sold on again and see if the user sent any PM's to anybody else about meeting up.

If they will not give the details to the detective try to pm anybody who posted an offer (if the site allows it), clutching at straws but hey, I would try everything I could.

If they did get the signed letter for them to release their details to the detectives.

My week since my bike was stolen

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