A Port Coquitlam, B.C., man is speaking out about how three of his high-end mountain bikes have now been stolen, despite putting in surveillance cameras and investing in heavy-duty locks.
Adrian Smith told Global News that he was getting ready for a family camping trip near the beginning of August.
He had just brought his bikes from the backyard to lock up on a trailer, ready to leave the next morning.
“But just in case I put two bike locks on the bikes, lock them together, lock them to the trailer,” he said. “And I went to bed and woke up in a few hours and … they were gone.”
Smith said this is not the first time he has even had a bike stolen.
He had previously installed some video cameras when it happened before, but despite catching the thefts on video he said police have not been able to catch and charge anyone.
“You know, understandably, it’s not a significant crime,” Smith added. “It’s just a frustrating crime where we have things stolen, you know, that are significant value to us, that we are just taken again and again. So it’s definitely a kind of repeating activity, repeating theft.”
He said he had passed on all the information to police, including serial numbers and the video footage, but the second time this occurred Smith said the initial person could be seen checking out the bike, trying to take them, realizing they are locked up and then he leaves.
Within the hour, that person comes back with a second individual, both wearing fake mustaches.
“So you can clearly see it’s the same individual, wearing the same clothes, it’s the same shoes on,” Smith said. “But this time, when he comes back, he’s got a giant kind of fake mustache on. And and so, you know. I guess that’s enough to throw the police in a loop.”
He said the two people were not panicked, they were clearly prepared and they avoided one of the cameras on the front door.
“Some individuals that are just, you know, doing this on a regular basis for sure,” he said.
Coquitlam RCMP told Global News the file is still under investigation.
Smith said he doesn’t know how to secure this stuff anymore.
All three bikes were worth more than $10,000 in his estimation.
“It’s very frustrating, especially when, you know, my specific insurance and my home insurance doesn’t cover that kind of thing,” he said.
“So, yeah, just frustrating when there’s nothing you can do about it and then you try and prevent it by putting locks on it and it just keeps happening.”
Smith said he knows there are limitations to catching suspected thieves but he would like to see the police try and do more to catch them or find out where these bikes are being resold.