Photo Credit (Pixeles)
Bjartmar Leósson, a self-described “bike nerd” and local bus driver in the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, has become a local hero by assisting in the return of hundreds of stolen bicycles. In addition to this noble deed, he has assisted the bike thieves in their reform.
Leósson saw a sharp increase in bike thefts in Reykjavik in 2019. He chose to take matters into his own hands and began looking for the motorcycles and returning them to their respective owners rather than accepting that they were lost forever.
Over the past four years, the 44-year-old has assisted in the return of hundreds of bikes and earned a reputation as the “bike whisperer” among Reykjavik’s cycling community and even potential bike thieves. With over 14,500 members, his Facebook page assists individuals in finding more than simply misplaced motorcycles. His website includes those who have misplaced valuables including cars, tools, and other goods.
At first, Leósson would confront the robbers in a furious and outraged manner.
But as time went on, he came to see that addictions and other problems were the main cause of the majority of the thefts. He changed his attitude toward the robbers from one of hostility to one of sympathy for their plight:
It was really difficult at first; I was furious, and they were too. However, I soon came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter and that nothing would change, even if I screamed until I was exhausted. I therefore made the decision to simply speak with them and try to get on their level.
From this point on, Jesus extended his hand to the robbers, providing support and direction for recovery. Leósson discovered that once he changed his strategy, the bike thieves frequently returned the motorcycles to him without asking. Remarkably, several of the former criminals Leósson assisted are now helping him find the stolen motorcycles.
Leósson compares it like a small snowball that quickly grew larger. “It’s not just me,” he says. Frequently, someone will see a bike concealed in a bush, snap a photo of it, and someone else will remark, “Hey, that’s my bike.” Everyone is therefore watching out.
Nowadays, it might take as little as 48 hours to find someone’s lost bike on his Facebook group, Hjóladót ofl. tapað fundið eða stolið (Bicycle goods etc lost, found or stolen). It has over 14,500 members and is updated every few hours with missing and discovered items.
According to a 2023 ranking, Iceland is the safest country in the world, while Reykjavík is already among the safest cities in the world, coming in at number three. And it is getting much safer because of Leósson. The number of bike thefts in Reykjavík has drastically decreased since he started his business of rescuing bikes and rehabilitating bike thieves. During the first 11 months of 2023, theft decreased from 569 in 2021 to 508 in 2022 and 404 in 2023.
