Bike theft in Utah is ‘off the charts,’ cyclists say, with bolder thieves and less police enforcement

State crime data shows reported bike thefts have decreased, but cyclists are skeptical.

By Paighten Harkins | Dec. 14, 2021, 9:00 a.m. | Updated: 12:33 p.m.

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John Warnock held a cup of coffee in one hand and pointed out his security arsenal with the other.

A tangle of cable locks secure the chain-link fence to his Salt Lake City yard. He’s installed three motion-detection cameras and automatic lights. Posted signs warn would-be thieves. His bike-lock keys fill three keychains, so many that he often forgets which ones go to what. But that’s the price you pay for peace of mind.

“Somebody coming back here trying to try again for the candy shop, it’s like, ‘Yeah, no,’” Warnock said. “It’s locked tight.”

Over Father’s Day weekend this year, someone stole four bikes out of Warnock’s yard. They were old but valuable performance bikes, meant for speed, distance or traversing mountain trails. Warnock said he and his girlfriend often didn’t take them out around town, fearing they would be stolen.

But that Thursday night, the couple pulled the bikes out of their shed so friends could join them on a group ride. When they got home later, Warnock was too tired to put them back, instead stashing them in an alcove in his backyard, covered with a tarp. He thought they would be safe there, out of sight, until they returned from a weekend trip.

They weren’t. Warnock filed a police report and listed the bikes as stolen online. He drove around trying to find them, but he never got any leads.

He’s not alone.

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