The police campaign #GetMyBikeBack has made strides in the years it has been around, helping bring about a decrease in bike theft, says Staff Sgt. Darcy Shukin.
"We had a bit of a spike in 2016, and then it went down in 2017 and 2018, and currently we’re on par with those numbers."
One component of the campaign is an online registry to help identify recovered bikes, a registry Shukin has seen double the amount of users from 1,600 to over 4,100 in just a year.
Police still have more than 200 bikes spread over three lost and found locations, waiting for a monthly auction, or ideally the owner to come collect it. Collecting recovered bikes becomes a lot easier if previously registered online.
It is also a good idea to record a bike’s serial number, make, model, and colour. Buying a good lock can also help prevent theft from occurring in the first place.
Shukin warns that thieves have been known to use bolt cutters, so it’s a good idea to think about how you’re going to keep it safe.
"If you’re going to be locking it outside in a public accessed area you’ll want to ensure you have a good quality lock. So if you have a bike that is valuable to you, you want to make sure to spend some time to research the type of lock you’re getting."
The police auctions happen once a month, but recovered bikes have 90 days to be reclaimed before going to auction.
