Addressing bike theft together as a community

Kelowna

2024-08-09 07:38 PDT

Kelowna RCMP crime analysts recently completed a bike theft analysis, examining several factors including, the most common time of day for these thefts, which days of the week and whether or not the bikes were secured. After reviewing 50 random samples of bike thefts under $5,000, the analysts were able to produce the following data;

• Approximately 84% of the thefts occurred between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.;
• Mondays and Thursdays had the highest number of thefts, 12 and 9 respectively;
• 58% of thefts included some forced entry, for instance a cut lock or break-in to secure storage;
• 64% of complainants did not provide a serial number.

Kelowna/Central Okanagan RCMP has received 216 reported bicycle thefts under $5,000 so far in 2024, compared to 264 reported bicycle thefts under $5,000 over the same time period in 2023.

We are certainly happy to see a decrease in the number of bikes being reported stolen from last year. We believe there is a correlation between the decrease in numbers and the success of the bait bike program over the last couple years along with our Repeat Offender Management Program, says Cpl. Michael Gauthier Kelowna RCMP.

Bike owners are definitely taking steps to purchase the right locks and secure their bikes, but we’d still like to see an increase in owners documenting serial numbers and taking photos of their bikes. It’s not impossible to return a bike without the serial number, but it certainly makes it more difficult to locate the correct owner. As a result, we are often left with seized bikes in our detachment storage that eventually get donated as we are unable to identify owners.

We can’t eliminate bike theft, but we can deter it and everyone has a role to play in this. The City of Kelowna has valuable information in their Community Safety Toolkit and the RCMP will continue advocating for bike owners by making all efforts at returning their property and holding those responsible for stealing it accountable.

The City of Kelowna Bike Valet offers a safe, secure, and free of charge place to park your bike downtown. Conveniently located at the corner of Mill Street and Bernard Avenue, the valet is open from Wednesday through Monday, 9:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. Additionally, Bike Valet staff can assist with registering bikes through Project 529 which is a free service that allows you to record your bike's details, including the make, model, and serial number, ultimately increasing the chances of recovering and returning your bike if it is stolen or goes missing.

Seized bike