Ski and snowboard theft cases with the Breckenridge Police Department increased in 2016 after two years of decline. A total of 26 skis and snowboards were reported stolen, compared with 16 in 2015 and 25 in 2014.
SKIS AND SNOWBOARD REPORTED STOLEN BY YEAR:
2013: 75
2014: 25
2015: 16
2016: 26
But the 2016 numbers remain well below 2013, when 75 boards and skis were reported stolen in Breckenridge. That was largely the work of a single perpetrator, whom law enforcement officials described as a “serial thief” who stole dozens of boards and skis and sold them online. That man pleaded guilty to a deferred sentence in December 2014 and agreed to pay $100,000 in restitution. The DA’s office has since set up a snow sport equipment theft restitution fund, and people who have had gear stolen in any of the four counties in Colorado’s Fifth Judicial District can apply for compensation.
Since most thefts at Breckenridge Ski Resort occur at the base area, which is within the town limits, Breckenridge police handle those cases. Other ski areas in the county fall under the jurisdiction of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, which didn’t have total case numbers readily available.
Police said they are often able to solve cases by monitoring Craigslist and Ebay, websites where thieves typically go to sell stolen gear. They also encourage people to write down serial numbers and add an identifying feature to their skis and snowboards to help police confirm if they find a match.
“We do encourage people to report to law enforcement and not take matters into their own hands. … Social media is not the place to solve these cases.” Jaime Fitz Simons – Summit County Sheriff
Those locking racks are really convenient but Breck refuses to put them in. I rather buy a $20 lock and lock it myself instead of wasting time checking my skis at a ski check. They have them at places like Copper.