Two dozen stolen bikes are lined up against a concrete wall, each with a large cardboard tag dangling from the handlebars.
"This one's expensive," says Senior Sergeant Phil Gillbanks, indicating a black Trek mountain bike.
"It's frustrating, because unless people record their serial numbers it's hard to match them with their owners."
Read more: Spate of bike thefts plaguing Tauranga
We're in the basement of Tauranga Central Police Station, and Mr Gillbanks is talking about the growing problem of bike theft. Police stations at Te Puke, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa and Tauranga South have similar piles of recovered bikes.
The growing numbers are testament to the fact that Bay people are failing to take basic steps to help police catch criminals and return stolen items to their owners.
Mr Gillbanks says that in 20 years of policing, he can remember only 10 instances in which he's been able to match goods with owners through serial numbers.
The problem is that most people simply don't record them. They also fail to photograph unique items such as paintings and jewellery. They fail to record the IMEI numbers of their cellphones. They fail to etch identifying marks on to tools.
"People are nearly in tears when reporting these things, but they've done nothing to help themselves."
Thieves often do not scratch out serial numbers on stolen goods because it makes them too obviously stolen. They rely on the fact that most owners haven't bothered to record the numbers.
One of the easiest ways to help police is to log all valuable items on a website that has been set up to aid recovery of stolen goods. The website, Snap, allows serial numbers, IMEI numbers and photographs to be stored online until needed.
Insurance Council figures show there is traditionally a steep rise in burglary-related claims over summer, and especially in the December-January period. Claims exceed $400,000 a day over those two months.
This week the Bay of Plenty Times revealed that bike theft is on the rise. According to police, most of the thieves are teenagers stealing high-end bikes for joyrides.
Last Saturday, police caught a teenager they believe stole a bike from Tay St, Mount Maunganui. Also last weekend, they caught a group that had been active around Memorial Park.
However, these successes are likely to make little more than a dent in the spate of thefts.
"At the moment bikes are a hot commodity," Mr Gillbanks said.
"We need people to help us recover their stuff and catch the people taking it. That's why we do this job - to catch crooks."
Items that remain unclaimed from Bay police stations are sold at auctions in Hamilton every three months or so, with proceeds going to charity.
Record serial numbers online
- www.snap.org.nz
- This stands for "Serial Number Action Project"
- It's endorsed by police and the Insurance Council