What to Do If Your Bike Gets Stolen in San Francisco

It’s no secret that bike theft in San Francisco is a problem that’s only been made worse by the pandemic. Should it happen to you, SF SAFE has some suggestions on

steps you can take to increase your chances of recovering your bike.

File a Police Report

The first thing to do if your bike is stolen is file a police report, which can be done in one of three ways: online here; via phone by calling 415.553.0123; or in person by going to your local San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) district station. If you don’t know your district station, click here to find out.

Call or Email SF SAFE

Give SF SAFE a call so our staff can list your bike as stolen on our database. You can contact our office at 415.553.1984 or info@sfsafe.org.

Register

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to register your bike at nonprofit bike registry bikeindex.org. If you already registered, take action to flag your bike as stolen on the site.

Read Up

SF SAFE recommends reading “What to do after your bike has been stolen” on Medium. The article has a multitude of gems about where and how to post about your bike on social media to increase your chances of recovering it.

Create a Google Alert

By creating a Google alert for bikes being sold that match the make and model of your bike, you can increase your chances of finding it.

Don’t Recover Your Bike Yourself

Should you discover your bike for sale on Craigslist or OfferUpNow.com, don’t try to recover it yourself. Contact the SFPD directly so they can handle it.

Keep in Touch

If the SFPD contacts you to return your bike or if you recover it, please let SF SAFE know! That way, we can keep our files updated.

SF SAFE hopes that your bike never gets stolen, but with these tips, you’re now well-equipped to take the right steps to recover it if it does happen to you.

-Kathy Chouteau