Ocean City Reports Surge in Stolen Bicycles

The summer shopping spree for bicycle thieves in Ocean City has begun — and as usual, they're choosing from a wide selection of unlocked bicycles and unlocked garages. 

The increase in stolen bicycles is typical for this time of year with more visitors and more bicycles in town. The crimes are often made easy by owners who take no precautions to protect their property.

The was filled with thefts last week, and Ocean City Police Capt. Steven Ang said many of them were related to stolen bicycles. Ocean City residents have reported 26 stolen bicycles since May 1, and if the seasonal pattern holds true, the bike thieves are only getting started.

The following statistics on bike thefts in Ocean City was provided by the Ocean City Police Department:

"If it's easy pickings, it doesn't matter what type of bike it is," Ang said.

He said leaving bicycles outside and unlocked is the most common scenario, but he also pointed to potential mistakes that might be a little less evident.

Some bicycle owners with four-digit combination locks spin only one number when they lock their bikes. It makes it easy for owners ... and thieves ... to unlock bikes.

Ang also said bikes have been stolen from garages with a back door that had been left unlocked.

"There's a false sense of security that if it's in a garage, it's safe," Ang said.

Ang said the police department doesn't think there's any large-scale organized effort to steal and sell bikes. But, as usual, there are plenty of people out there stealing bikes.

Some stolen bikes are abandoned and recovered by police and others are moved out of town and sold at flea markets are other venues, Ang said.

The city's annual always has plenty of inventory, even though the police department makes every effort to reunite abandoned bikes with their owners.