The NYPD says e-bike thefts have doubled since last year. A common target for the thieves are food delivery workers. Just last month, a delivery worker was stabbed to death by a thief who took his e-bike.
If you live in a big city or town, chances are some of the food deliveries you have received were brought to you on an e-bike.
But the pricey electric bikes have also become a hot target for thieves.
Video shows one crook use a buzz saw to cut the chain off an expensive e-bike. Another thief stole an e-bike right as a food delivery worker came down the steps. The worker gave chase, but couldn’t keep up.
And last month, police say the situation turned deadly for one delivery worker, who was stabbed to death by a thief who then took off with his e-bike.
“Delivery workers are targeted now more than ever, because they’re using some of the most expensive bikes in order to do this work,” Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Workers Justice Project, told Inside Edition.
The NYPD says e-bike thefts have doubled since last year.
To see how bad the problem is, Inside Edition rented a sleek, $2,000 electronic bike from NYC Adventure eBike Tours. We hid two GPS devices in the bike, and Inside Edition Chief Investigative Correspondent Lisa Guerrero locked it to a stop sign post.
It didn’t take long — just 10 minutes — for a man to stroll up and size up the e-bike before yanking the chain right off and speeding off with it.
Our GPS tracker led us to Tompkins Square Park, where we eventually found the e-bike under a tarp. But everyone there said they didn’t have a clue how the bike got there.
“I don't know and if I knew, I wouldn't say nothing,” one man said.
We got the bike back, but the guy who stole it was long gone.
As for the tens of thousands of delivery workers in New York City, they say they just want to get home safely every night.
"These e-bikes are delivery workers’ livelihoods. They rely on these bikes in order to provide a better life for their families,” Guallpa said.
