Jeffco Sheriff: Man shoplifts bolt cutters from Walmart to steal kid’s e-bike locked up in front of store - eviltoast

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help identifying an alleged bike thief who, on Wednesday, shoplifted bolt cutters to steal a boy’s e-bike.

  • Drusas@kbin.run
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    4 months ago

    And this is why you have to ask a service associate to get bolt cutters from the back storeroom for you at Lowe’s and Home Depot.

    • BastingChemina@slrpnk.net
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      4 months ago

      Or do like what the people are the bike rental company I went to did.

      They wore regular clothes and took an angle grinder with them (the key broke in the U-lock).

      Kindly ask the nearest shop to plug the angle grinder to cut open the lock on the bike that was in the street, went on with it and left with the bike.

      No one bother to ask any question.

  • lemmefixdat4u@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Install a bike alarm inside the seat tube. They’re hard to defeat without tools. Mine alternately flashes bright blue and red light strips epoxied to the frame. In California, that’s a guaranteed police stop (blue lights are only allowed on law enforcement vehicles), plus it makes everyone look at the thief. There’s also a relay that shorts out the motor, making it a bitch to pedal. If that and the 120 dB alarm doesn’t stop them, 30 seconds later two metal strips under the seat fabric get powered from a 55 kV mosquito zapper circuit.

    • FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.ioOPM
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      4 months ago

      You seem like the sort of person that would use a Skunklock lol

      Btw, we’d love to see your bike and a breakdown of how everything works - that sounds like a badass setup

    • SatyrSack@lemmy.one
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      4 months ago

      What triggers these anti-theft measures you have implemented? And how do you make sure that it is not triggered when you go to use it?

      • lemmefixdat4u@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        The bike alarm is triggered by motion. It’s a standard off-the-shelf seat tube bike alarm, armed/disarmed by a fob. My modification was to beef up the output power to operate the flashing lights, motor shorting relay, sonalert, and the time-delayed electric theft deterrent. I can’t be shocked unless I’m riding around for 30 seconds with lights flashing, alarm blasting, and the motor acting as a regenerative brake. That’s why there’s a time delay.

        There’s also an Airtag in the seat, but I’d rather deter the thief than have to track down the bike.

    • pedz@lemmy.ca
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      4 months ago

      If it’s like a car alarm it does nothing but annoy the people around.

  • friend_of_satan@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Physical security is my biggest concern with my ebike. I wish there was a keyed circuit shutoff or that the computer was removable.

  • lemmefixdat4u@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    That low-res picture of the suspect is why Walmart has such a problem with theft. Meanwhile, Sam’s Club has 4k cameras on either side of the entrance and the exit. Same parent company.

    • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      Walmart doesn’t actually care much about theft. It’s a small percentage of their revenue, despite what they and the media want you to think. An industry lobbying group has recently said shrink is up to 2-3% last year, up from 0.7-1% pre-pandemic. Being a lobbying group, I’m sure those numbers are inflated to further their agenda. Do we really think that an extra 1% shrink is something Walmart is actually going to make massive changes over? No, they’d clearly rather install self checkouts that make it easier to steal so they can fire cashiers instead.

      Those cameras are actually to monitor for Union activity.

      • Katana314@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Retail stores are likely studying the effect that shoplifting has on other customers though. When it’s brazen, it can make people fearful for their own safety, and even less likely to shop at the same place.

        • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          You seem to think that Walmart gives a single thought to how their customers feel. Have you ever been to a Walmart? Not exactly the high end of the retail experience.

          About the only store lower on the “this place has a nice feeling” is a Dollar Tree, and even then I’ve been in some Dollar Trees that were nicer than the nearby Walmart.

  • mctoasterson@reddthat.com
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    4 months ago

    I noticed they now lock up boltcutters in a storage box at many hardware stores, because people had been grabbing them out of the tool aisle and using them to cut other security locks so they could shoplift other higher value items like high-end power tools. If you have a legit need to buy bolt cutters, you have to get a clerk to take them out for you, and they immediately walk you to the register and make sure you leave after purchase.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    I hope that kid gets locked up. That bike is illegal! Illegal I tell you! The guy just wanted to get it off the streets by probably getting drunk first.