Vigilant, not vigilante

Chico has a bike-theft problem. It has for a long time, but it’s gotten worse over the past couple of years, and even more so over the last few months, according to local bicycling advocates. In response, some in the cycling community have started a Facebook page called Chico Stolen Bike to discuss what to do about the thefts since the city hasn’t been addressing the problem.

On the page, members post photos and videos of suspected thieves and stolen bicycles as well as suspicious activity involving bike sales on sites such as Craigslist.org (see “Hot wheels,” by Ken Smith, page 8). The site is a great way for the local cycling community to connect and discuss solutions for this growing issue, such as the best deterrents to this thievery.

What we hope people don’t use it for is vigilante justice. We’d like to urge the community to keep a cool head when it comes to this crime. We don’t know what type of criminal element the community is dealing with here, and no bike—no matter how nice—is worth getting hurt over.