Photo for Headline Surfer / Bicycle parts were recently discovered by Seminole County Sheriff's Office deputies in Spring Hammock Preserve.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- You leave it, lock it! That's the message from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
On a recent patrol, deputies discovered numerous bicycles, bike parts, tires, and tubes scattered along a nature trail in the sprawling Spring Hammock Preserve.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said it was unclear how these bicycle parts got there or to whom they belonged. But it's a clear reminder that if you leave your bike somewhere, lock it up so it doesn't end up like this!
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office said it was unclear how these bicycle parts got there or to whom they belonged. But it's a clear reminder that if you leave your bike somewhere, lock it up so it doesn't end up like this!
This bicycle parts locale was in Spring Hammock Preserve, a 1,500-acre natural area in Seminole County. Its mucky areas protect examples of hydric hammock and floodplain forest. Sandy terrain supports upland hardwood and pine flatwood ecosystems. Many animal and plant species in the preserve are either rare or near their range limit.
This is a public service announcement from Headline Surfer in support of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
Did You Know?
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According to the latest FBI statistics, nearly 150,000 bicycles were reported lost or stolen to police across the US, with Florida ranked the 5th highest.
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The value of lost or stolen bikes totaled over $148 million, with an average value of $833 per bike reported to the police.
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More than 21,000 bikes were stolen or lost in California, accounting for nearly 15 percent of the national total.
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Throughout 2023 (the latest data year), 21,339 bikes were reported stolen in California and inputted into the FBI crime database. California’s bike reports were more than 9,000 higher than the average reported per state. In Texas, 12,261 bikes were entered into the FBI records as lost or stolen during 2023, Colorado (7,433), Florida (6,790), and New York (6,166) round up the top five states with the highest recorded bike thefts or losses.
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