Two Bicycles Stolen from Noroton Heights Railroad Station — Total Value: $1,030

Two bicycles were stolen at the Noroton Heights Railroad Station on Tuesday, June 26. The lock that had been used to fasten one of them was left behind and intact; a chain used to fasten the other was missing, Darien police said.

Police gave this additional information:

Bicycles and scooters at Noroton Heights Railroad Station

Both bicycles had been secured to a bike rack on the northern side of the station (the Heights Road side). One of the bikes, a Larkspur brand valued at $430, was left there at about 7:30 a.m. and noticed missing, along with its chain, when the owner returned at 7:30 p.m.

The other bicycle, a Diamondback brand valued at $700, had been left at the station at 2 p.m. The owner used a lock to fasten the front wheel to the bike rack. When the owner returned at 4:43 p.m., it was gone.

Police did not say whether or not security cameras at the station, which have limited views, had shown anything suspicious, or weather anyone working on the ongoing platform replacement project, if they were at the station at the time, had seen anything suspicious.

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See also:

• Locked and Unloaded: Two Bicycles Stolen in 17 Minutes, One from Each Darien Train Station (May 14)
• Ride, Lock, Get Stolen, Repeat: Several Locked Bicycles Stolen at Darien, Noroton Heights Train Stations (Sept. 18, 2017)
• Three Bikes Stolen from Bike Rack at Noroton Heights Train Station (Sept. 12, 2016)
• Bicycle Stolen from Noroton Heights Train Station (Aug. 17, 2016)

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SIDEBAR: 

Tips on Preventing Bicycle Thefts

Last September, after four thefts of bicycles in a short time from both stations, Darienite.com asked police Detective James Palmieri, a spokesman for the department, what police are doing and what bicycle owners can do to make the thefts less likely. The questions were asked and answered in an email exchange.

Here’s part of what we reported:

Darienite.com: Are there specific kinds of locks that can be used to make these thefts more difficult? Was there anything about the locks used for these stolen bikes that made them easier to cut than other locks? Would the department recommend locks with certain features? 

Palmieri: I think that those smaller chain-style combination locks (with vinyl over chain or wire) are more easily cut than the more expensive U-shaped locks. It’s certainly more of a deterrent.

Q: Can bike owners do anything else to make it harder on thieves?

A: One issue we have is that people don’t record the serial number of their bikes after the purchase. If we were to see a suspect riding a bike similar to the one stolen, it’s difficult to show that the suspect didn’t buy the same one of off the rack at Walmart, for instance.

Also, if someone pawns a bike for money, the serial number is filed with the transaction as well as a copy of the person’s ID who pawned it. We can search pawn records for the stolen bike’s serial number.

Lastly, it allows us to enter a “stolen bike” file into the Connecticut law enforcement systems. That way if I bike is found, any law enforcement agency can see that we have reported it as stolen. Without the serial number, we have fewer tools to work with.