Does Paris Have a Bike-Stealing Program?

While Paris' celebrated Vélib bicycle-sharing program continues to be popular as it nears its second anniversary, it is increasingly becoming the target of thieves and vandals.

Of the some 20,000 bicycles freely available at the nearly 1,000 bicycle stations in the city, 8,000 of the bicycles have been stolen, 16,000 have been vandalized and nearly 1,400 people have been arrested.