Bikes are snatched, then resold, and residents have been complaining that police do not take the matter sufficiently seriously.
By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
A 19-year-old youth who recognized his stolen bicycle chained outside a supermarket in Rehov Ibn Gvirol was astonished when he called police and was told, "If you're sure it's yours - take it and ride away," reports Yediot Tel Aviv.
The man, who was reluctant to act on the advice, insisted that police come to the scene. But, when they did, he was even more surprised when they said he could not prove that the bicycle was his, and there was nothing they could do. He then watched helplessly as the present "owner" rode the bicycle away. Tel Aviv has been hit by a wave of bicycle thefts. Bikes are snatched, then resold, and residents have been complaining that police do not take the matter sufficiently seriously.