‘It’s really upsetting’: Bike thieves on the prowl in Lincoln

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Darin Byrnes is a recent victim of a bicycle thief in the Near South neighborhood.

His camera caught a man going into his backyard and walking away with his bike.

And he’s not alone. Lincoln Police data show the number of bike thefts goes up in the spring and summer. 

In January and February, nine bikes were stolen each month.

In May, 23 were stolen, and 32 were stolen in June. 

Byrnes said people often walk by the area and peer over his fence. 

“It’s frustrating when it happens over and over,” he said. “I started putting out more fence.”

That didn’t stop them, so he decided to put cameras. But that didn’t stop the thief, either.

“I don’t know what’s next,” Byrnes said. 

Byrnes got his bike back, but that was not the case for Katia Castro’s husband and their roommate.

Two bikes were stolen from their house, which is also in Near South.

“They haven’t found our bike,” Castro said. “It’s really upsetting and concerning for me because we thought it was a friendly neighborhood.” 

Castro said her roommate is most affected because she doesn’t have a car.

“She relies on her bike to go back and forth for groceries and stuff like that,” Castro said. 

The Lincoln Police Department said registering your bikes makes it easier for them to recover them if they get stolen.

There is a website where you can register them.