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Surveillance video captures early morning porch bike theft near 45th and Locust (updated)

September 29, 2015

UPDATE: According to police, the following bike thefts have been reported in the area since Sept. 24 in addition to the incident described below:

Sept. 24: 48th and Regent; 900 block of S. 46th St.
Sept. 26: 43rd and Sansom
Sept. 27: 200 block of S. 42nd; 200 block of S. 44th; 47th and Pine

A West Philly Local reader says that his two bicycles were stolen from his front porch on the 200 block of S. Melville Street in the early morning of Monday, Sept. 28. The whole incident was captured by a surveillance camera on the building (see image below). The stills from the video that we received show two young unidentified males checking out the bikes on the porch at 3:43 a.m. on Monday. The reader says that the video shows the same two men taking the bikes. The theft has been reported to the police. 

The bike owner is alerting other residents and hopes others are more cautious and fortunate with their personal items.

If you have any information about this incident please contact Joe Murray of Southwest Detectives at: murrayswdd-at-gmail.com

biketheft

9 Comments For This Post

  1. Dan S Says:

    I’m curious what type(s) of locks the bikes were secured with and what type of structure they were locked to. My bike was cut from my wrought iron front porch railing a few years ago. It looked like they cut through my thick U-lock like a warm knife through butter. Bottom line- no lock can 100% prevent theft and if they want your bike badly enough they will find a way to take it. My bike is now stored inside at all times. The front porch is like a display window for bike thieves.

  2. phillypatriot Says:

    That is the kid I caught and the cops let go. It was Sunday when I caught them red handed stealing my ULOCKED bikes from my porch. Caught him turned him into the police and they let him go. Yelling at me for catching him and his accomplices. Pretty efffdup.

  3. Springfield ave Says:

    U locks can be cut in about ten seconds w a cordless Sawzall or it s mini version the hacksaw..both battery operated and not terribly loud…would not trust a u lock anywhere In the city if u have a decent bike….

  4. Strongforu Says:

    I see my neighbors leaving their bikes on their front porches, often times with no locks and I wonder if they think they’re in Kansas. Reality check people, we’re in the 5th largest city in America and there are some things you just can’t do like leave your bike on the front porch or leave your first floor windows unlocked. My nana often said that “Common sense isn’t common!”.

  5. Jude Says:

    “Philadelphia: America’s Worst City for Bike Thefts” from Sept. 2014 article:

    http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/09/29/philadelphia-americas-worst-city-bike-thefts/#rejcGhLrA1Xz8ql2.99

  6. guest Says:

    I blame income inequality.

  7. guest Says:

    phillypatriot, so do you have a name then?

  8. Chris Em Says:

    Hi guest,

    Thanks for the tip. I’ll look out for “Income Inequality.” That dude seems to be responsible for lots of stuff lately. Funny name though. Sounds Finnish.

    Chris

  9. Phillypatriot Says:

    @guest NO because the police refused to write a report just let them go and held me up for 30 mins. Yelling at me for capturing them. Next time I will just shoot them. My property my house legal gun. Done with waiting around for justice.

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