Armed Bike Jacking in Oakland

Two cyclists were robbed at gun point. Oakland PD did nothing.

Two cyclists, in two separate incidents, were robbed at gun point in the past week while riding in the Oakland Hills in the vicinity of Skyline, Tunnel, and Grizzly Peak roads. The attacks do not appear to be random as the thieves were targeting high end road bikes, a Cannondale and a Speedvagen. The assailants in both cases shared a similar description and pattern, so there is a high likelihood that the two crimes were committed by the same group.

Hussein Saffouri, the rider of the Cannondale had the foresight to outfit his bike with an AirTag and was able to alert police to its location. And still Oakland PD did nothing. If the police can’t step in when they know the location of dangerous criminals who just committed an armed robbery, then these attacks will continue. We can only hope they don’t escalate, but this is not the first time the East Bay cycling community has been targeted. During the pandemic similar thefts occurred in the Oakland Hills, which combines a great place to ride with multiple exit points for thieves.

It’s not about the bikes.

Of course it sucks to lose a bike, especially a nice one, but bikes can be replaced. The sense of security and stability cannot. Riding should be an escapist activity, not an activity where you need an escape plan. Traffic violence has been on the rise, and cyclists already have to contend with dangerous streets. Then when we try and get away from the cars we are tracked down by armed thieves. Ride together and stay in groups to keep safe, and as much as I hate to say it, maybe avoid the Oakland Hills for a little bit if you’re going to be riding alone.

Get your bike insured.

If you ride a bike that would be difficult to replace, protect yourself against theft by getting your bike insured. While your possessions may be covered by your renters or homeowners policy, if you have a high end bike, you may quickly exhaust your insurance limits before you get anywhere near the cost of your bike. Make sure that your bike is specifically named in your policy identifying the make, model, and price. This may raise your premiums, but insurance companies are used to insuring expensive items like jewelry and artwork so a bike will fit within their existing system.

Keep a look out for these bikes.

Below are the two bikes stolen in the Oakland Hills. If you see them on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or anywhere else, alert the police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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