Latest news with #biketheft
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Top tips to avoid bike theft, and what to do if it happens to you
It's a gut-wrenching moment — going to hop on your bike, only to discover it's not where you left it, even though you locked it. Anna Schlieneber knows the feeling all too well. "I locked my bike up. It had a U-lock and a cable lock on it, but I guess it didn't secure it well enough because when I came back down it was gone," she said. It happened last weekend, sometime during the 90 minutes that Schlieneber was visiting a friend in Centretown. "It's kind of violating. It's a piece of property that I really value. Like I use it for exercise, for activity, for getting around downtown, and it's just really upsetting," she said. Ottawa police say bike thefts in the city were actually on the decline from 2018 until last year, when they started ticking back up. "[In 2018] we were at an average of about 1,700 bikes stolen per year — and keep in mind, this is just what's reported and the information that we have — versus now we're seeing about 1,400," Const. Derek Thompson told CBC. Thompson works with the Ottawa Police Service's central neighborhood resource team, and says Centretown is still the city's hot spot for bike theft. But it can happen anywhere, especially without the right precautions. How to avoid bike theft Here are Thompson's best tips to prevent your prized possession from being stolen: Lock your bike in a visible public area. "Choose well-lit, very open, highly visible areas with ... very visible bike racks, bike racks that are fixed and immovable," Thompson advised. "What we want to do is create a situation where it certainly doesn't give them an opportunity to spend a lot of time working to defeat that locking mechanism." Use a hardy lock. The most reliable kind of lock is made of high-grade steel, which is much more difficult to sever with bolt cutters or other tools. Lock it up properly. Thompson said the best method is to loop the lock through the front wheel and bike frame, then secure it to a fixed rack or similar object. For extra protection, secure the back wheel with a second lock if possible. Register your bike with 529 Garage. It's a free anti-theft app that lets you upload a photo of your bike, the serial number and any other unique features to help identify it. Police use the app frequently to help reconnect recovered bikes with their owners. "It is a go-to resource for us to be able to identify whether a bike is stolen, and to immediately connect with the owner of that property," Thompson said. You can pick up a sticker to indicate your bike has been registered at Ottawa police headquarters on Elgin Street or through 529 Garage. What to do if your bike is stolen Thompson said if you witness a bike theft in progress, call 911. Don't call the non-emergency line or report online. Don't engage with the thief, but if possible take photos or videos of them in the act to help in any police investigation. If your own bike is stolen, Thompson said the best course of action is to file an official police report. Follow these steps, he said, and you just might see your stolen bike again. "Sometimes the greatest rewards in our job are returning something that's extremely valuable to somebody's possession, and the smiles on their faces, endless expressions of gratitude. I mean, those are what really makes our day," Thompson said.
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Top tips to avoid bike theft, and what to do if it happens to you
It's a gut-wrenching moment — going to hop on your bike, only to discover it's not where you left it, even though you locked it. Anna Schlieneber knows the feeling all too well. "I locked my bike up. It had a U-lock and a cable lock on it, but I guess it didn't secure it well enough because when I came back down it was gone," she said. It happened last weekend, sometime during the 90 minutes that Schlieneber was visiting a friend in Centretown. "It's kind of violating. It's a piece of property that I really value. Like I use it for exercise, for activity, for getting around downtown, and it's just really upsetting," she said. Ottawa police say bike thefts in the city were actually on the decline from 2018 until last year, when they started ticking back up. "[In 2018] we were at an average of about 1,700 bikes stolen per year — and keep in mind, this is just what's reported and the information that we have — versus now we're seeing about 1,400," Const. Derek Thompson told CBC. Thompson works with the Ottawa Police Service's central neighborhood resource team, and says Centretown is still the city's hot spot for bike theft. But it can happen anywhere, especially without the right precautions. How to avoid bike theft Here are Thompson's best tips to prevent your prized possession from being stolen: Lock your bike in a visible public area. "Choose well-lit, very open, highly visible areas with ... very visible bike racks, bike racks that are fixed and immovable," Thompson advised. "What we want to do is create a situation where it certainly doesn't give them an opportunity to spend a lot of time working to defeat that locking mechanism." Use a hardy lock. The most reliable kind of lock is made of high-grade steel, which is much more difficult to sever with bolt cutters or other tools. Lock it up properly. Thompson said the best method is to loop the lock through the front wheel and bike frame, then secure it to a fixed rack or similar object. For extra protection, secure the back wheel with a second lock if possible. Register your bike with 529 Garage. It's a free anti-theft app that lets you upload a photo of your bike, the serial number and any other unique features to help identify it. Police use the app frequently to help reconnect recovered bikes with their owners. "It is a go-to resource for us to be able to identify whether a bike is stolen, and to immediately connect with the owner of that property," Thompson said. You can pick up a sticker to indicate your bike has been registered at Ottawa police headquarters on Elgin Street or through 529 Garage. What to do if your bike is stolen Thompson said if you witness a bike theft in progress, call 911. Don't call the non-emergency line or report online. Don't engage with the thief, but if possible take photos or videos of them in the act to help in any police investigation. If your own bike is stolen, Thompson said the best course of action is to file an official police report. Follow these steps, he said, and you just might see your stolen bike again. "Sometimes the greatest rewards in our job are returning something that's extremely valuable to somebody's possession, and the smiles on their faces, endless expressions of gratitude. I mean, those are what really makes our day," Thompson said.
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Winnipeggers call for crackdown on scrap dealers buying stolen metals
Social Sharing Some Winnipeggers are calling on the authorities to do a better job at enforcing laws meant to make it hard for thieves to sell bike parts and other scrap metal for money. The Scrap Metal Act requires buyers to keep records on transactions involving used items made out of copper, iron, steel and other metals. It came into effect in 2022 with a goal of cracking down on this type of theft, particularly when involving catalytic converters. But some advocates said Friday the theft of copper and other materials as well as bikes is still rampant. They say police should be ramping up enforcement to prevent people's property from winding up in a junk yard. "The theft of wire, theft of copper plumbing as well, from vacant houses is a serious, serious issue. It's a symbol of the deterioration of our city," said activist Sel Burrows. "We need to throw the book at that." Burrows, co-ordinator of the Point Powerline community tip line in North Point Douglas, said some scrap yards are part of the problem. "Everybody focuses on the front-line criminal, but we also need to look at who's buying stolen goods," he said. Winnipeg police urged to crack down on scrap-metal-related thefts 4 hours ago Bike and copper theft continues to be a problem throughout the city, despite provincial legislation that was designed to make it harder to sell the stolen goods, and there's a growing call for better enforcement. "These are businesses quite often, and they need to be held accountable. If there's no market for things like burnt wire, they won't steal and burn the wire." The Scrap Metal Act requires buyers to record every transaction involving scrap metal and keep the records for two years. They also must provide that information to police if asked. Winnipeg police said in a statement there are ongoing efforts to clamp down on metal theft, including "the involvement of vendors in the conversion process for financial gain." Metal theft 'a serious problem,' minister says Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the province is working with law enforcement to tackle the issue. "This is a serious problem," he said, adding that this type of theft puts peoples' lives at risk. "If you're stealing copper wire, it's dangerous," Wiebe said. "We know it's resulted in serious injuries and obviously impacts the community." Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said better enforcing the laws would discourage thieves from stealing bikes for their parts. "We know that that bikes are being stolen, sort of turned into scrap and sold for that," he said. "If that's your mode of transportation … having your bike stolen also really discourages people from riding." Cohoe said people should remember to register their bikes, so they have a chance to get them back if they're stolen.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- CTV News
Police looking for owners of stolen bikes found in Kitchener home
Waterloo Regional Police are looking to reunite owners with their bicycles after they found more than $25,000 in stolen bikes last month (Courtesy: WRPS). Waterloo Regional Police are looking to reunite owners with their bicycles after they found more than $25,000 in stolen bikes last month. On June 26, officers found the bikes at a home in Kitchener as part of a bike theft investigation. Police said they initially found a stolen bike in a home near King Street West and Green Street in Kitchener. After that, multiple other bikes and parts were found at another home nearby. Police were looking to reunite the bikes with their owners. Waterloo regional police stolen bicycles bikes kitchener Waterloo Regional Police are looking to reunite owners with their bicycles after they found more than $25,000 in stolen bikes last month (Courtesy: WRPS). Waterloo regional police stolen bicycles bikes kitchener Waterloo Regional Police are looking to reunite owners with their bicycles after they found more than $25,000 in stolen bikes last month (Courtesy: WRPS). Waterloo regional police stolen bicycles bikes kitchener Waterloo Regional Police are looking to reunite owners with their bicycles after they found more than $25,000 in stolen bikes last month (Courtesy: WRPS). They've asked anyone who recognizes a bike as theirs to call 519-570-9777 or officer Const. Shymko at 519-570-9777 ext 6407. Proof of ownership, such as a serial number or a photo of the owner with the bike, will be needed for the bike's return.
CTV News
16-07-2025
- CTV News
Police warn about increased bike thefts in Ottawa
As the summer heats up, bike thefts are on the rise too, a growing problem in Ottawa. CTV's Tyler Fleming has tips on how to stay protected.
