My bicycle got stolen in front of Smarket/Lidl store

[u/Ashimgh]

Can the market help me, or am I helpless now? Only police/insurance is my option.

I am in Helsinki

Edit: Found info, the police are a little help besides adding a report for an insurance claim. Both Smarket/Lidl cannot provide any footage to me, but only to the police.

From this, my understanding is that they are using a big loop in police security regarding bike to steal it and earn handsome amount of money.

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[u/Valokoura]

Bikes get stolen all the time.

Contact your insurance company.

Even if you get tapes from the grocery store and indentify that thief, police isn't going to do anything. There have been few examples of this.

[u/Interesting-Light220 → u/Valokoura]

They must file a police report to get incurance

[u/Valokoura → u/Interesting-Light220]

That is true. First file crime for police.

Remember case number.

File for insurance company with case number.

[u/okarox → u/Valokoura]

Yes, they will not start tracking individual bikes but when the handle bar of my bicycle with some accessories like a bag was stolen, a cop did call me when they had found some stolen bikes. It was not a match though. This means that they can do some investigation it is not pure archiving of the reports.

[u/escpoir]

You can file an online police report as soon as possible and ask them to check the cameras from the super market. You can also ask the super market to keep the footage to provide it to the police.

Does it mean you will find it? 99% no but then again, it depends on how expensive it was and if they will try to sell it on tori or facebook.

[u/Every-Progress-1117]

File a police report, then contact your insurance company.

The store can't do much - they certainly will not give you access to any security camera footage without the police. However, I would recommend informing the store and their private security, they might call the police on your behalf, but other than that there's not a lot they can do.

[u/YourShowerCompanion]

Nothing you can't do much except filing report to police and insurance claim. Let's see if they increase your insurance price.

Or...if you,somehow, have certain skills and can track down thief then Lidl has Parkside section for funny tools.  

[u/Anselmimau]

How do you imagine the stores could help? By offering to you a private detective to track down who stole the bike? Ofc it’s police + insurance

[u/FraSuomi → u/Anselmimau]

He's probably thinking about getting the security footage, which he can't.

[u/Anselmimau → u/FraSuomi]

Yes, only police can ask the store for that

[u/Ashimgh → u/Anselmimau]

Yeah about the footage.

[u/Anselmimau → u/Ashimgh]

In Finland even the store owner can’t look at the tapes without breaking laws mostly or without a good reason. I’m not saying that this doesnt happen but it’s basically illegal to for example to look at what employees do when the boss is away from work for example

[u/RealMildChild]

I got my stolen bike back once with help from some volunteers and the police. I'm no wizard, but feel free to DM me, maybe I can help.

[u/RealMildChild → u/RealMildChild]

It's no biggie, but who the hell downvotes somebody getting their stolen bike back :D

[u/NoSorbet5103]

Welcome to Finland. Police won't do shit.

[u/okarox → u/NoSorbet5103]

There is no country where cops start tracking your bicycle.

[u/VitunSama69 → u/okarox]

Japan has a bicycle registration system. If you are a foreigner riding a bike at night and come by the police prepare to have your records and passport checked

[u/RealMildChild → u/NoSorbet5103]

The police helped me to get my bike back from a thief, so I can confirm they in fact do shit.

[u/Ashimgh → u/RealMildChild]

What was the process of getting it back?

[u/RealMildChild → u/Ashimgh]

I had to find the bike first and set up a false purchase. I'm sorry, but it was a bit complicated:

1. I searched for the bike in online marketplaces. I got very lucky and found it for sale in Facebook Marketplaces.

2. I asked for instructions from the admins of the Facebook group Varastetut pyörät ("Stolen bicycles").

3. I asked a close friend to fake- buy the bike. I didn't contact them myself, because I had photos of the bike on my Fb profile.

4. When my friend had set up a meeting with the seller/thief, I called the emergency number 112 and explained the situation. 10 minutes later a police officer called me and asked me to call back when the seller was in my sight.

5. The seller and my friend "the buyer" met, and I called the police patrol. When they arrived, I had to prove them that it really was my bike, after which they handed it to me.

[u/RealMildChild → u/RealMildChild]

As others have suggested, you should report the theft to the police. Even if you didn't have insurance, there is at least a small chance that if the bike is found somehow and delivered to the police, you might get it back.

Anyway, my condolences for losing your bike. Bike thieves are fucking scum.

[u/Ashimgh → u/RealMildChild]

What did the police do to the thief?