POLICE are warning of a summer spike in bike thefts from a series of western suburbs hotspots.
Almost a bike a day has gone missing since the start of December, with about 50 thefts scattered across Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham.
Theft hotspots include Seddon, the Footscray CBD, Williamstown and Altona beaches and around shopping centres in Hoppers Crossing and Werribee.
Footscray police crime prevention officer Craig McDonald said a surge in reports of bicycle thefts highlighted the danger of leaving bikes unattended and without a lock for any period of time.
“In every case we’re talking about bikes that have been left unlocked,” Leading Senior Constable McDonald said.
“These are opportunistic crimes. Crooks are seeing these bikes and deciding to take them rather than walk somewhere.”
The spike follows a similar increase over the same period last year, before a dip in the cooler months.
In many cases, the stolen bikes are brand new, having been bought as part of a summer health drive or as Christmas presents.
“After every Christmas, over the summer period, we get a lot of reports of bikes being stolen.
“We’re talking about bikes worth $500 or more; it’s a lot to lose.”
People are also being urged to take photos of their bikes as well as writing down a full description; they can also engrave to assist with identification.
“Even if we recover these bikes, we often have no way of knowing who the owners are.”
