Location: Springfield, OR
Case Number: Multiple
Date/Time: February – March, 2024
More Information: spdpi@springfield-or.gov
Completed By: Zak Gosa-Lewis, Public Information Coordinator
NARRATIVE OF INCIDENT:
During the last month, two Springfield Police Department officers utilized their knowledge of bicycles to recover and return roughly $19,000 worth of stolen bikes.
In one instance, one of the officers noticed a newer e-bike parked in front of a residence, unsecured. Recognizing that the e-bike was of high value (roughly $1,900 new), the officer stopped and spoke to the resident. The officer ran the serial number of the bike, which came back to a report that it was stolen almost 11 months prior. The officer was able to take possession of the e-bike and return it to its rightful owner.
The same officer later spotted an individual riding a nearly new downhill mountain bike, valued at nearly $9,000, being ridden down Main Street in Springfield. The officer contacted the rider and, using her own knowledge of mountain bikes, was able to develop reasonable cause that the rider was not the rightful owner. The rider consented to the serial number being run, at which point it came back as stollen. The rider then admitted to having stolen the bike in Eugene from a bicycle shop that had been burglarized.
The same officer was later contacted by another officer who, while off-duty, located a newer bike on Facebook Marketplace listed for well below its estimated value (over $600). The officer from the first recovery contacted the seller, identified the bike as being stolen, and successfully returned it to its owners.
The same officers teamed up again, with their roles reversed. While off duty, the officer from the first two instances spotted a high-end bike being ridden in Springfield. The officer notified the aforementioned officer, who was on duty at the time. The on-duty officer was able to track the bike, valued at roughly $8000, to the previously mentioned burglary and return it to its rightful owner.