Crime Prevention

On this month’s Crimecall, Sergeant Graham Kavanagh was in studio to offer advice on securing bicycles and also providing advice regarding the theft of dogs. Over the summer months, we noticed significant increases in two particular crime types, namely bike theft and dog theft.

An Garda Síochána is reminding cyclists to take extra precautions in keeping their bicycles safe by locking them in the most secure way possible. The majority of bicycles are stolen from roads, streets and carparks, however increases in bicycle thefts from residential or domestic settings are more prominent in 2020, particularly from gardens, sheds, apartment complexes and houses. So far this year there have been 3,800 reported bicycle thefts, with An Garda Síochána recovering approximately 1,800 bicycles. Many cannot be returned to their owners as their serial numbers are not recorded. Only one in five bike owners were able to provide their bicycle frame / serial number to Gardaí when they reported their bike as stolen.

Sergeant Graham Kavanagh says that a rising demand for both Dogs and Bicycles in a COVID19 landscape has driven an increase in these types of thefts.

Gardaí are appealing to the public to take extra crime prevention measures when it comes to caring for your pet, particularly high-value breeds of dogs.