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Kelowna  

Bike theft on the rise


They are considered crimes of opportunity, an easy steal that could have been preventable if people were just more aware.

Bike thefts in Kelowna are on the rise, and police say it’s due to owners carelessly leaving bicycles unlocked or in unsafe locations.

RCMP Const. Steve Holmes says most bike thefts occur in residential areas where people are not taking the time to properly lock their bicycles at home.

“There are two scenarios I can think of. One is where your bike is targeted and thieves will take their time and they will do whatever they can to get your bike no matter how it is secured, but largely we are seeing thefts of opportunity. The unlocked bicycle being the most obvious that a person looking to steal one is just going to simply walk away with,” Holmes explains.

In the first six months of 2015, 238 bicycles were stolen in Kelowna, compared to 151 reported bike thefts in the same period last year – a 58 per cent increase.

Holmes says the increase could be attributed to a recently busted bike chop shop, where bicycles were traded for drugs. The operation was recently dismantled and two people were arrested for their involvement.

“Primarily, a bicycle thief will be able to identify at first glance whether a bicycle is secured at all or secured in such a way that they could easily defeat it and walk away with it.”

Police say most thefts happen at night in residential areas, where people are leaving their bikes in their backyards or on their decks, where they think it might be safe. However, bikes are just as vulnerable at home as anywhere else if they aren't secured. 

Police are asking cyclists to get involved with the bike theft prevention program.

“It gives the bicycle owner the means to record very pertinent information we will require if the person’s bicycle is stolen. There is also a brochure which provides valuable tips on how to prevent bicycle theft," says Holmes.

The program was implemented in the Central Okanagan last year.

Community policing co-ordinator Colleen Cornock says there is still a lot of work to be done, and getting the word out will help its success.

“We have seen some reduction, but there is (still) theft taking place in residential areas," she says.

Holmes says sometimes bike thefts are just about convenience – someone takes a bike to get to a certain location and then dumps it.

“We recover a lot of bicycles that are simply dumped – they have been used once or twice – and sometimes we recover bicycles that have been spray painted over, because the thieves convert it to their use for a longer period of time."

Bike theft prevention kits can be picked up at any bike shop, City Hall or the regional district office.

Meanwhile, police are seeking public’s assistance in identifying some of the recovered bicycles from the chop shop bust. They include:

  • Cannondale F7
  • Giant Sedona LX
  • Specialized Tarmac
  • Kona Project SL
  • Subrosa SBTR1168
  • Specialized Rockhopper
  • Haro F4 Series
  • KHS SJ One Hundred
  • KHS DJ Fifty
  • Haro Pro XL
  • Fuji Nevada
  • Jamis Trail X2
  • Specialized Stump jumper
  • Norco Katmandu
  • Diamondback Grind
  • Norco Storm 6.1
  • Free Agent Ambush 24
  • Haro 8.2
  • Giant Yukon
  • Kona Stuff
  • KHS VJ50
  • Banshee Scream
  • Kona Shred
  • Giant STPS
  • Infinity Mercury
  • GT Saddleback
  • Supercycle Burne R

If you have had one of these bicycles stolen, email Const Graeme Greig at [email protected] and provide the colour, serial number or any unique identifiers about the bike.



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