Put your bike on lockdown

Photo: Rob Gibson

The City of Kelowna is working to help cut down on the number of bicycle thefts in the city.

As Bike to Work Week continues, riders are encouraged to register their rides with Project 529 Garage.

The North-America-wide app is a community-based bike registration and recovery service, which helps riders if a bike is stolen. The database makes it easier for the RCMP to return bikes to their owner when it is recovered during an investigation. By registering, cyclists also have all the information they need for insurance claims.

The good news is, bike theft in Kelowna is down by 26.8 per cent so far this year compared to a few years ago. Since January, 115 bikes in Kelowna were reported stolen, compared to 157 for the same period in 2015.
 
“We’d like to see the numbers drop even more,” says Colleen Cornock, Crime Prevention Supervisor with the City’s Police Services. “It can only work with us continuing to work with the community to keep property safe.”
 
The Crime Prevention Team is onsite with tablets during Bike to Work Week morning celebration stations, Thursday and Friday of this week.