RCMP say bicycle theft is down in Kelowna
Kelowna RCMP have released some data on bike theft in the city, and it showed a decrease from last year.
So far this year, there have been 216 reported bike thefts compared to the 264 stolen during the same period last year, according to an RCMP press release issued, Aug. 9.
“We are certainly happy to see a decrease in the number of bikes being reported stolen from last year,” Cpl. Gauthier said in the release. “We can’t eliminate bike theft, but we can deter it and everyone has a role to play in this.”
A police review of 50 random bike thefts under $5,000 revealed some trends.
Bike theft victims did not give police a serial number in 64% of bike thefts.
Police can return a bike to its rightful owner without a serial number on file, but bike owners who document serial numbers are going to have an easier time getting their bike back.
READ MORE: New ‘tamper-proof’ locking bike racks coming to Kelowna
“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,” Gauthier said. “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.”
Most bike theft happens during the day. Police said 84% of bike thefts happen between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Bike thieves cut locks or broke into a secure storage area in 58% of thefts. Police did not say what types of locks are most commonly broken.
The City of Kelowna has a bike valet service at the corner of Mill Street and Bernard Avenue for people who want to store their bike safely downtown, but the service is only available from Wednesday to Monday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Project 529 is another free service to help with bicycle security. Cyclists can register their bikes including make, model and serial number which helps recover stolen bikes.
Click here for more tips in the city’s Community Safety Toolkit.
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