(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

For a long time bicycle theft has been part of everyday life in the Okanagan, but this year the tables are finally starting to turn.

In Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops, close to 700 bike thefts were reported to local RCMP in 2023 alone. This may seem like a lot, but it’s a far cry from the number of thefts seen in previous years.

In 2022, the Kamloops RCMP Detachment recorded 259 bike thefts while Kelowna had 580.

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In just those two jurisdictions there were significantly more thefts in 2022 than in Kamloops, Kelowna and Vernon combined last year.

According to Penticton RCMP media relations officer Const. Kelly Brett, in just 24 hours stolen bikes can be dismantled for parts, painted or sold on the street and online.

“High-end bikes often are sold in other jurisdictions, however, the lower-end bikes tend to stay within the community and are sold for parts or sold on the street,” Const. Brett told iNFOnews.ca.

Const. Brett was unable to provide statistics on how many bikes were stolen in the city last year.

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According to Kelowna RCMP, the bait bike program was a major driving force in decreasing the city’s bike theft by 40% between 2022 and 2023 and also led to some arrests.

The Kelowna detachment positioned teams in high theft areas, which also contributed to the decrease.

Davis Kyle, president of the Kelowna Area Cycling Coalition, said the and his organization have worked with the City of Kelowna to enforce better standards for bike storage racks in new housing developments.

“Generally speaking, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and knowing that your bike is securely stored and will be there when you retrieve it after work, school, etc. is extremely important to commuter cyclists," Kyle said.

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The organization also promotes secure bike rooms in commercial or institutional spaces like Kelowna General Hospital, Okanagan College and other public schools in town.

“We will believe the single largest impediment to mode shift towards cycling remains street design and urban built form,” Kyle said. “But we support more bike lockers and valets as ways to prevent as much bike theft as possible in the city.”

Bike theft continues to be a “persistent issue” in Vernon, according to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP detachment.

“Through initiatives such as the Bait Bike program and Garage 529, we are working to combat it,” Const. Chris Terleski media relations officer for Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said. “We need the public’s help though and want to remind bike owners to do their part and not temp thieves by leaving bikes unlocked or unattended.”

All the RCMP officers pointed towards the 529 Garage registration and recovery service as an important tool in decreasing bike theft.

When a bike is stolen, the system helps police return the bike to its rightful owners, in turn saving thousands of dollars in police resources and loss of bikes.

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