By MADDY VITALE
Looking on social media in Sea Isle City, there seems to be a trend — abandoned or stolen bikes left in people’s yards or just around town.
Capt. Anthony Garreffi said that the Sea Isle Police Department receives calls from homeowners routinely about bikes that are just dropped on their lawn and left.
“We have a pickup truck we use several times a day to pick up bikes,” Garreffi noted in an interview Friday.
The bikes are kept in a locked facility under the City Hall complex. The bikes are put in property and evidence. If after six months they aren’t claimed, they become eligible to go into the city’s yearly bike auction.
“If someone reports their bike stolen, we can compare them to our inventory,” Garreffi said. “We got several calls today.”
On Friday afternoon, Patrolman Brandon Piper and Class II Officer Ethan Selb brought in four abandoned bikes.
Garreffi offered several pointers to bike owners.
“Lock your bikes up or keep them in your garage. If you don’t have a garage or a lock, bring them indoors if possible, and please copy down the serial number. That helps tremendously,” he said.
Garreffi, who serves as the officer in charge of the police department, said he has a good idea about why bikes that are often in good shape are just left abandoned.
“People basically use the bikes for traveling and drop them off wherever they go,” he said of the bike thieves.
Offenders could face fines and penalties, which increase depending on the cost of the bike, he added.
He said that while he hasn’t spoken to any other police departments about bike theft, pretty much they deal with similar kinds of issues in the neighboring shore communities.
In recent weeks, there have been several postings on Sea Isle City social media platforms regarding missing or abandoned bikes.
That has led to other people on the same platforms reporting their discoveries of abandoned bikes.
People are posting photos of the bikes found on properties around town.
Poster Maureen McGee Carney wrote simply on July 19, “Found at 42nd and Central.”
Tom Buroojy asked on July 14 in a social media post, “Anyone missing a blue bike with black basket. This is on 68th Street beach path.”
Garreffi said the stolen bike phenomenon isn’t new and there aren’t more cases than in previous years, but social media is keeping the issue on everyone’s radar.
“I just think it is a trend of people seeing it on social media,” Garreffi said. “It is no worse than any other year, but it is absolutely an issue.”
