Increase Of Motorcycles Reported Stolen
The police said there has been an increase in the number of motorcycles reported stolen, with 20 motorcycles reported stolen in the last week.
A police spokesperson said, “In recent times, the Bermuda Police Service [BPS] has observed an increase in the number of motorcycles reported stolen. Last week, 20 motorcycles were reported stolen from various locations around the island. That number of motor vehicles stolen so far this year stood at 498, as of Wednesday, August 28.
“Below is a breakdown of the number of motor-vehicles [MV] reported stolen since 2020.
- 492 MV Theft recorded in 2020
- 531 MV Theft recorded in 2021
- 620 MV Theft recorded in 2022
- 553 MV Theft recorded in 2023
- 498 MV Theft recorded in 2024 [to 28-Aug-2024]
“Every report of vehicle theft is recorded by the BPS. Vehicle numbers are circulated to all patrol officers, broadcasted on police radios. CCTV and other lines of enquiry are actively used to attempt to identify the persons who have taken them.
“The problem of recovering stolen vehicles, is not as simple as it sounds. Stolen vehicles in Bermuda which are in the main part cycles, are taken for a number of reasons. Bikes are often disassembled and sold for parts. Stolen bikes are often stripped down to the frame which is then dumped in bushes or in the ocean making recovery even more difficult.
“These bikes are also used in various crimes and are usually fitted with licence plates belonging to another cycle. Other cycles are taken and used for joy riding by teenagers and then dumped.
“In nearly every case of a car being stolen the BPS has recovered the vehicle. In cases where a car has been stolen, most times keys are left in the ignition or somewhere inside the vehicle.
“In order to minimise the risk of vehicle theft, do not leave a vehicle unattended and with the engine running. Secure bikes with a proper lock, preferably attached to a stationary object that cannot be moved. At night, park bikes in well-lit areas and in all cases be sure not to leave keys in the ignition or spare keys with your bike or car.
“The BPS thanks those persons who have already assisted with information that has resulted in the recovery of stolen vehicles. Those persons with relevant information, can contact 211 or alternatively you can share any information that you may have with a police officer you are familiar with, or through the BPS online community reporting portal, https://portal.police.bm.”
I would like to commend the police who found my wife’s stolen bike a week after it was reported stolen. I had little faith in them doing anything about it as they have bigger crimes to solve, but they completely surprised me. It does sadden me as a Bermudian, that some Bermudians, evidently many, according to the numbers provided in the article, are involved in such crime. The police can set up a bait and catch, but if they don’t have the time they should support civilians who would volunteer to set the trap and do the surveilance. The police would just have to make the arrest. Also, security cameras in Hamilton and elsewhere, should have an ID as to who controls the camera and the public should have access to the camera footage if they think that footage would show who stole their vehicle. On a lighter note, did you hear someone stole the toilet out of the police station. The police have nothing to go on!
With all the bikes being stolen they ( BPS) need to set up bait bikes with GPS tracking, so that they then can catch the criminals and their stash spots
BPS cannot be bothered with such minor crimes let alone the expense of a GPS. Whatever happened to that great CCTV network of cameras?
You can find many bikes dumped in the water off of North Shore Road after joyriding.
I had a somewhat similar but a bit more radical idea before airtag tech came along. The police said that they couldn’t do it as it was considered ‘entrapment’ . Boo hoo , tell that to the many hundreds who have had their bikes stolen if they’re worried about entrapment.
Not surprising. They don’t like us to make things inconvenient for criminals.
Just look off of North Shore Road for anywhere one could dump a motorcycle into the water after joyriding. I lost count of how many I have seen underwater while snorkeling.
Much harsher penalties are needed for auto theft. It is not only a crime and theft, but it frightens, and victimizes the victims, makes them feel at danger in their own home, puts them out of transportation for extended periods, costs victims out of pocket for various things post-theft. People cannot just afford to buy a new bike or rent bikes or pay for bus or taxi fare if their bike gets stolen. It should be mandatory that such thieves repay not only all damages but to also pay for financial and emotional suffering that the victims were forced to undergo. I would recommend that the criminal should be made to pay 100% of the damages or replacement of vehicle plus pay for all transportation costs for the victim until their vehicle is returned fully restored, and if they don’t pay within short time they should get mandatory 4 years jail. Every scratch would need to be paid for and fixed. They should also pay for the suffering and inconvenience and I would recommend putting this at a $2,000 fine for common vehicle theft and $4,000 for any form of vehicle theft that leaves people feeling emotionally afraid or in danger, such as from a private home, and a $8,000 fine for any violent or destructive act of theft. Jail time for vehicle theft should be mandatory 5 years in prison no chance of parole. Reoffenders should get 8 years. Watch thefts decrease with such penalties. Gangs do a lot of theft and the gangs should be monitored and targeted better for prosecution.
“Much harsher penalties are needed for auto theft.”
You are starting at the end of the line. About 20 years ago the Bermuda Police Service stopped enforcing traffic laws. Whether that was a decision of the Bermuda Police Service or an instruction from the then Government is a matter of debate. What is clear is that that the failure to enforce traffic laws has emboldened young people. There is now a whole generation of Bermudians that believe that the Bermuda Police Service will do nothing in relation to them.
The lack of law enforcement by the Bermuda Police Service has fostered the lawlessness we now see in Bermuda.