Resident urges enforcement and reuse program after bike thefts; police chief says bikes picked up only when crime identified

Paul Wilhelm, a Logansport resident, urged the Common Council during public comment on Sept. 8 to do more to enforce laws against bicycle theft and to create a storage or reuse program for recovered bicycles.

Wilhelm said he called the police non‑emergency line after someone dumped a bicycle in his lot and was surprised to be told that “the police no longer collects bicycles.” He said the city’s failure to collect or store recovered bikes can send a negative message about enforcement and suggested the city partner with nonprofits that could repair and reuse bikes for community programs.

Logansport’s police chief responded during the public comment period, saying officers do pick up bicycles when there is an identified crime or an arrest: his remarks noted officers had stored bicycles as evidence when appropriate and had held property for arrestees. The chief said the department stopped operating a general lost‑and‑found bicycle program about six years ago after accumulating hundreds of unclaimed bikes and that the department lacks space to store non‑evidentiary items permanently.

The chief said the department would pick up bikes when a victim and a theft are identified and that the department has worked with community partners in the past to reuse bicycles but that evidence handling rules limit what can be retained in some cases. He said the department would research available options and noted logistics such as vehicle capacity and evidence rules.

Council members thanked the chief for the explanation; no formal council action was taken but one council member invited the resident to a parks board meeting to view a camera demonstration and suggested committees review possible community partnerships for handling recovered bicycles.