Thanks for keeping us posted Ann. Oh my. What a mess. It certainly seems like the registration could have helped here. But I think the police dropped the ball on this one too.
Usually, either the store where the bike was purchased, or the repair shop that last fixed the bike will put a sticker on the bike - if that was the case with your bike, the officer could have simply asked the suspect where the bike was purchased or where it was last repaired, and if the suspect failed to give an answer that matched the sticker on the bike, then the police should keep the bike under the suspicion that it was stolen. Alternately, the bike might be ID'd by asking about any known problem with the bike (under inflated tire, squeaky brake, distinguishing scratch marks, trouble with certain gears, etc.). Or, the officer might ask how much riding the bike has had, and what gear the bike is usually ridden in - then check the sprockets for a wear pattern consistent with the description. Even the absence of problems could be used to match the bike with a potential owner. In any event, the Police are required to make a good faith effort to return property to its owner, so in the event the thief was let go, I can't imagine how the officer could just put the bike in a situation where it would easily be stolen again. I have to wonder what kind of training the MPD is giving officers on how to handle stolen bikes. It sure seems like they could do better. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
