The figures around the theft of bicycles reflect that Bogotá ‘got out of hand’ the situation

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Colombians to rethink new ways to mobilize. The bicycle, since the health emergency declared by the National Government began, has become an ally of the citizens of the capital who go to work. But nevertheless, Just as the use of cycling as a means of transportation increased, robberies, murders, violence and various scourges of those who drive them, it is becoming the daily bread in Bogotá.

The panorama is so critical that, even, for the Secretary of Security of the government of Claudia López the situation got out of control. Its director, Secretary Hugo Acero, acknowledges that At this time, the Bogota police force does not have the norms and corrective measures to control the situation.

Bicycle thefts in the country’s capital are on a dramatic increase. According to reports from the Secretary of Security, from the beginning of 2020 to October, at least 9,021 cases of bicycle theft (2,432 more in the same period of 2019).

The murder rate is pitiful As of October 31 of this year, 12 more cases have been reported than the 830 registered in 2019. This means an increase of 1%, which seems small, but is considerable considering that this was a percentage that had been decreasingor in recent years and that occurred during the time of mandatory isolation.

One of the facts that the victims of theft and the relatives of the deceased cyclists criticize the most is that those responsible for these crimes do not receive “the full weight of the law.”

“I don’t think they are going to do anything. At most they will go after the guys who grabbed him, they will put them in jail for one or two months, they will give them a house for a jail as they have done with many. But criminals continue to do their misdeeds “, denounces in dialogue with the newspaper El Tiempo, Nísber González, cousin of Kevin Ardilla, the 24-year-old cyclist who died on November 19 when they tried to steal the bicycle he was driving.

Hugo Acero’s statements regarding those who steal bicycles generated all kinds of reactions from public opinion. The Secretary of Security of the Colombian capital assures that “The amount of a bicycle does not give to have a person deprived of liberty”. However, it clarifies that criminals are only prosecuted if “It has had to do with injuries or some people with homicides.” Despite acknowledging that criminals are not arrested if they have not committed physical injuries, he announced that “We have arrested more than 650 people this year, there are gangs behind bars or deprived of liberty”, Steel said.

Obstacles in the judicialization

In Kevin’s case, the aforementioned cyclist and domicile, The Secretary of Security assures that it is not yet known if the murder of the young man was due to theft. However, they say they will take action on the matter.

The main drawback to prosecute a cycle thief is that, as of yet, there is no way to fully identify your bike owner, as it can be done with a car or a motorcycle by brand, plate or serial number.

Despite this situation, the District announced that it is looking for strategies to counteract this phenomenon that is increasingly plaguing Bogota citizens. It’s more, In towns such as Usaquén, Kennedy and Engativá (the place with the most thefts of these means of transport), cycle marking strategies are being carried out and thus “hitting” the thugs. Similarly, the Mayor’s Office of Bogotá carries out a digital registry through the Ministry of Mobility and it is proposed that all the cycles sold have a registry when they leave the warehouse where they were purchased.

“The Secretary of Security said it had More than 250 bicycles recovered this year, of which were delivered to their owners, we do not know how many, because it is difficult, because we do not know how to link a complaint with the user and a bicycle with its owner, these efforts are plausible”Said Fabián Munar, from the group Get on the bike.

The District announced that it has already identified several criminal gangs dedicated to bicycle theft. Further, They acknowledged that they had dismantled criminal groups that stole these means of transportation in Soacha, Bosa and Ciudad Bolívar.

“We go with a police inspector, and our officials go and verify the origin of the goods, bikes and spare parts, frames and others. Out of five establishments, three were good, everything in order, without a problem. We closed two because they could not identify the origin of the vehicle. There was one that was for sale outside and did not give documents or anything and it was time to close this establishment, “said the Secretary of Security.