Stolen bicycle posted on Craigslist returned by SFPD, thief runs away

From SF resident Laura King’s letter to Captain Corrales of SFPD:

“I’m writing to thank you for allowing Officer Matt Friedman and Officer Brett Bodisco to accompany me to East San Jose yesterday to recover my stolen bike. I feel incredibly lucky to have my bike back, and I have Officer Friedman and Officer Bodisco to thank!

The story is typical. I left my bike unlocked in my entry way, and someone broke in to my apartment and stole it. I filed a police report last Wednesday morning, and felt completely helpless. The bike was only two months old, and I had been searching for the perfect fit for nearly a year.

I registered my bike online on the SF Stolen Bike registry, and noticed they had a Twitter account, @stolenbikesfo, managed by Bryan Hance. Bryan told me to also follow @SFPDbiketheft, an account managed by Officer Friedman. I followed his account, and sent Officer Friedman a Direct Message telling him about my bike. We stayed in touch, and he told me to continue to check Craigslist in case someone was trying to sell it.

Sure enough, someone in East San Jose posted a grey Specialized Dolce on Wednesday night. I immediately reached out to Officer Friedman, who called me and said I should arrange a meeting with the poster and call SJ Police to help me recover the bike. I arranged a meeting, but the SJPD was unable to help.

Officer Friedman and Officer Bodisco picked me up at work, and drove me all the way down to San Jose to meet “Dennis,” the Craigslist poster. “Dennis” showed up with the bike, and Officer Friedman asked him to sit down. Instead, he ran. Officer Friedman and Officer Bodisco chased him to no avail. We checked the serial number, and it was my bike!

I am so, so thrilled to have my bike back, and I can’t say enough positive things about how Officer Friedman and Officer Bodisco handled the situation. Their creative work on Twitter and in the field has helped recover many bikes, and they have truly created hope for a staggering crime. I am a huge, huge proponent of the Bike Abatement Program, and I really appreciate your support of it as well.

Thank you so much for allowing the officers to leave their jurisdiction and help me recover my bike. I am truly grateful.”

Hat tip to platyjo on the Stolen Bicycles Bay Area Google Group