Stories of stolen bicycle recovery from Iceland’s Bike Whisperer to London’s BackPedal

In the heart of Reykjavik, Iceland, a local enthusiast known as the “bike whisperer” has gained notoriety for his unconventional approach to stolen bicycle recovery without resorting to anger or involving the police.

Bjartmar Leósson is a pivotal figure in the city’s efforts to reclaim stolen bikes, and was recently featured in a Guardian article. Rather than reporting thefts to law enforcement, it is the police who reach out to Leósson when individuals report missing bicycles. He’s that good. This unique collaboration reflects Iceland’s take on rehabilitation versus a traditional criminal justice system. For context, Iceland is a country with just one high-security penitentiary.

For Leósson, a self-professed “bike nerd,” his mission began when his own bike was stolen years ago. Convinced that the thefts were centered around a Reykjavik homeless shelter, he noticed law enforcement vehicles passing stolen bikes outside without taking action. Well, he took action.

Leósson decided to engage with them through dialogue. “I was very angry, they were angry. But then I started to think: OK, it doesn’t matter, I can scream until I’m blue in the face, nothing’s going to change,” Leósson told The Guardian. “So I decided to try to level with them and just talk to them.”

This shift in approach transformed former thieves from the shelter into allies in a city-wide initiative to combat bike theft. The individuals experiencing homelessness became instrumental in identifying stolen bikes and aiding in their recovery. Leósson established the “Bicycle stuff etc lost, found or stolen” Facebook group, or Hjóladót ofl. tapað fundið eða stolið, which now boasts over 14,000 members. Through this platform, the community collaborates to track down and return stolen bikes to their rightful owners, exemplifying a unique form of grassroots criminal rehabilitation in action.

According to the Guardian, bike theft is actually falling in the city, which is a stark contrast to pretty much every other major city.

BackPedal

Backpedal stolen bicycle recovery