EDMONTON – In July 2013, there were 29 per cent more bicycle thefts in the city than in July 2012, according to the Edmonton Police Service.
Officers say by the end of July 2012, there were 304 bikes stolen across the city. By the end of this July, that number was 392.
“Nearly 100 per cent of these thefts are preventable,” says EPS Constable Shawn Wruth. “People are buying beautiful, high-end bikes that cost $1,000 or more, and they’re locking them up with $10 locks that can be cut-off within seconds.”
The EPS recommends cyclists use a U-shaped lock because the lock is difficult to cut and – if locked around the frame and the rear tire – will prevent the frame and parts of the bike from being stolen. Officers also suggest replacing the front wheel release latch with a permanent lock.
“If you have a very high-end bicycle, if you can, you should be taking it with you inside your office or home,” adds Wruth.
Police say preventing bike thefts is key, especially since the recovery rate of stolen bicycles is low.
“Bike parts don’t have serial numbers on them. These parts or even the whole bike often end up on online classified sites. Even when a bike is recovered, the original owners have often lost the receipt, don’t have photos of the bike and don’t have the serial number, making it very difficult to positively identify the owner of the bike,” explains Wruth.
If a bike is stolen, the owner should file a police report as soon as possible and provide police with a photo and serial number for the bike.
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