Nearly 7,000 reported bike thefts in the last 16 months
An Garda Síochána is reminding the public to take extra precautions in keeping their bicycles safe by locking them in the most secure way possible.
Since January 2020 up to April 23, 2021, a total of 6,845 bicycles have been stolen across the country, with An Garda Síochána recovering 2,139 bicycles.
Many cannot be returned to their owners as their serial numbers are not recorded.
Of the bicycles stolen since January 2020 only one in every five bike owners were able to provide their bicycle frame /serial number when reporting the theft to gardaí.
This causes problems reuniting bicycles with their owners.
Over the period in question, 17 bicycles were stolen in Mayo - 15 during 2020.
The analysis revealed that 21 stolen bikes were recovered in Mayo last year.
Crime Prevention Officer in the Galway Garda Division Sergeant Michael Walsh said: "We are appealing to all bicycle owners to ensure they lock their bikes as securely as possible when they are not in use.
"Anecdotally, more people are cycling since the start of the pandemic and this is to be welcomed.
"Schemes like cycle to work offer great opportunities to those taking up cycling but it does mean people are investing in more expensive bikes.
"Therefore, it makes sense to invest in quality locks to prevent bike theft. A good quality lock would involve spending 10% to 20% of the value of the bike on two locks. On average this would amount to €140/€150.
"Take a photo of your bike. Note the serial number, which is located on the underside of your bike close to the pedals.
"Email the photo and serial number to yourself or store it on the cloud, so you will always have a record of it.
"If your bike is stolen, report the theft to Gardaí as soon as you can, and ensure you have your serial number to hand if you have it.
"If you have had your bicycle stolen, you can now go onto the Garda website www.garda.ie or our Garda divisional Facebook pages to view bicycles that are currently in our property stores."