Recording the serial number of a bicycle is a key element to ultimately having it returned to its rightful owner after being stolen. The number is generally found underneath the pedal bearing housing.
(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)
May 28, 2016 - 10:30 AM
PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP have some advice for residents following a rash of bike thefts in Penticton last week.
Police responded to a number of calls reporting bike thefts, including four of the same model on one day.
Cpl. Don Wrigglesworth says keeping a record of the bicycle’s serial number is probably the most important thing bike owners can do to aid the police in retrieving a stolen bike.
“Take a photo or write down the serial number. It’s usually located on the underside of the pedal bearing shaft,” Wrigglesworth says. “We do get bikes back to owners, and having the serial number helps us identify the bike."
Recovered bikes whose owners police can’t identify are stored at the detachment for several weeks, then turned over to the Penticton and District Society for Community Living, where repairs are made if necessary, prior to selling them through one of the district’s programs.
Local pawnshops can also help residents get their bikes back. Mike Schyrbiak with Mike’s Pawnbrokers in Penticton says he’s helped several residents get their bikes back.
“If there is a serial number and police file on the bike, I can deal with it, although each situation is different,” Schyrbiak says, adding in some transactions a potential threat to personal safety may factor into his ability to confiscate the bike.
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