Twenty-Six Bikes Reported Stolen in Wilmette Since May

Twenty-six bikes have been reported stolen in Wilmette since May, according to Wilmette Police reports. 

The majority of stolen bikes have been from commuter parking lots, such as the CTA station and Metra lots. 

"[Bike theft] ebbs and flows," said Brian King, Wilmette Chief of Police. "Most active crews come from out of the city. They bring portable grinders and cut the locks."

He noted that the crews are stealing multiple bikes, and focus on commuter lots. 

In 2011, Wilmette officers followed two suspects — Kenneith Robertson, 31, and Gilberto Torres, 53, both of Chicago — as they allegedly stole bikes from a commuter lot in Glencoe and the 500 block of Green Bay Rd. in Winnetka. Officers then followed the men into Chicago, where they discovered three storage lockers belonging to the duo, with over 25 stolen high-end bicycles inside. 

King recommends that bicyclists lock their bikes every time they park it.