PROSPECT HEIGHTS – Commanding Officer Frank DiGiacomo warned attendees at the 78th Precinct’s Community Council meeting Tuesday night that there has been a recent increase in Citi Bike thefts in Park Slope due to users not docking bikes properly when they are through with their rides.

I docked a bike 10 days ago, 6th & Prospect Pl, and the bike disappeared. CB was going to charge me $1,306, but the bike turned up today. — John (@jrhbrk) October 25, 2017

Crime in general in the 78th Precinct has decreased approximately 3%, DiGiacomo said. “We did have an uptick at the beginning of the year, we had a lot of burglaries, but a new thing that’s hitting us is the Citi Bikes.”

“They put all these Citi Bike docking sites in the 78th…. They’re popping up everywhere,” he continued. According to a May 2017 Street Easy report that ranks Park Slope #2 out of the Top 5 NYC Neighborhoods for Bikers, the area has 26 Citi Bike docking stations.

“We’re a bike friendly command,” DiGiacomo noted. “People really love Citi Bikes.”

“The unfortunate thing is when you return your Citi Bike,” he adds. “If you don’t dock the bike properly, kids come by and they take it.” He notes if this happens, Citi Bike can charge the user $1,200 for the improperly docked, missing/stolen bicycle.

See the video below on how to properly dock and undock a Citi Bike.

Citi Bike – Docking and Undocking a Bike from Citi Bike on Vimeo.

Citi Bike users can download an app that confirms via email or text message that a returned bike has been successfully docked. DiGiacomo suggests waiting for the message confirming that you’ve properly docked your Citi Bike before leaving the docking station to prevent theft and to avoid a hefty fine.