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Wicker Park Bike Thefts: CTA Damen 'L' Block Tops in Reported Swipes

By Alisa Hauser | April 28, 2016 8:36am
 Bike theft data for Wicker Park.
Bike theft data for Wicker Park.
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WICKER PARK — One out of every 10 bikes reported stolen in Chicago since 2010 were swiped in the Shakespeare Police District, which encompasses parts of Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square and Humboldt Park.

Of the 15,259 bikes that have been reported stolen, 1,517 of those were in the Shakespeare District.   Eight of the bikes were recovered.

According to crime data provided to DNAinfo broken down by block, the locations with the greatest number of thefts in Wicker Park and Bucktown have been at the neighborhood "L" stop or Metra Clybourn station.

Here are the top 5 spots for bike theft reports:

1. 1500 N. Damen Ave. - 24 thefts, 0 recoveries: This includes the heart of Wicker Park, the area just south of the Damen, Milwaukee and North avenues intersection, as well as the Damen Blue Line stop.

 Bikes parked at CTA Damen Blue Line station, 1558 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Bikes parked at CTA Damen Blue Line station, 1558 N. Milwaukee Ave.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

2. 2000 N. Ashland Ave. - 21 thefts, 0 recoveries: This includes the Metra Clybourn station, located at 2001 N. Ashland Ave.

3. 1300 N. Milwaukee Ave. - 20 thefts, 0 recoveries: This includes the Wicker Commons shopping mall, Mautene Court plaza and several small shops, one block north of the Polish Triangle, home of the CTA Division Blue Line underground station.

4. 1400 N. Milwaukee Ave. - 12 thefts, 0 recoveries:   A busy retail stretch, many restaurants and bars are located on this block.

5. 1600 W. Armitage Ave. - 12 thefts, 0 recoveries:  This block is just west of the Metra Clybourn station.

Bike advocates recommend registering thefts with the police, but also the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry, a website that provides details on stolen bikes and puts the city's bike community on alert to keep an eye out for the bike.

Rush hour cyclists in Wicker Park. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]

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