BUCKHANNON – The Buckhannon Police Department is in possession of several bikes and encourages anyone who has lost a bike or had one stolen to reach out.
Buckhannon Police Chief Matt Gregory said the bikes were abandoned and compared to reports they have taken concerning several stolen bikes.
“There’s a number of bikes in our possession that have not matched up to the reports that we’ve taken, so we’re trying to get the word out that if somebody has had a bike stolen or is missing a bike that they could call the police department and give a description,” Gregory said. “We’ll see if we have that particular bike – obviously, the more detail they can give, the better chance we have of making a positive identification.”
He said most of the bikes they have found were most likely stolen, but they were never officially reported.
“We do have our fair issues with bike thefts in our community, and I would venture to say it occurs with a lot more frequency than what’s reported to us,” Gregory said. “It’s seasonal, so you’ll see it worse in certain times of the year – certainly in warmer months – than in other times of the year.”
Gregory said when a person calls their office, they should note an identifying feature of the bike.
“Ideally, a serial number would be perfect, but a lot of people don’t have that,” he said, “but that’s always a good thing to have because that’s a positive identification. “We’re looking for any unique identifying feature that the bike or the item would have – for instance, a tear in the seat or a certain scratch or maybe initials scratched into the paint somewhere.”
Gregory said he would recommend locking bikes somewhere indoors, like a garage.
“My kids have had bikes over the years, and we’ve always stored their bikes in our garage,” the police chief said. “A lot of people don’t always have a garage, but if you can store them inside the garage or a building that’s ideal. If you can’t, then the next best thing is to secure them with one of those chains or a lock.”
Contact Gregory at mattgregory@buckhannonpolice.com or Lt. Doug Loudin by emailing dougloudin@buckhannonpolice.com. You may also contact the BPD by dialing 304-472-5723 or filling out a contact form by clicking here.
