VicPD is reminding bike owners of ways to avoid becoming the next victim of bike theft following two incidents in the past two days.
On Wednesday night (July 19), a man broke into a locked vehicle in the 500-block of Pembroke Street and stole the bike inside. Then, on Thursday morning, a group targeted a bike storage locker on the 800-block of North Park Street.
At least one suspect was arrested in both theft attempts, as officers were called to the scenes after citizens reported the crimes in progress. Suspects were taken into custody and released with a future court date.
Common areas targeted for bike theft include the street, garages, sheds, backyards, porches, parkades and bike storage rooms, said VicPD.
When storing a bike in any of these places, locking the tires and frame with a sturdy lock can reduce the risk of it being stolen.
The department emphasized that a locked vehicle, nor a storage locker, deterred theft in either of the recent incidents and encouraged citizens to store their bikes indoors, when possible.
As a precautionary measure to increase chances of recovery, police encourage taking photos of the bike and taking note of the serial number, make, model and any distinctive features.
Bike owners can also register their bikes with services such as 529 Garage to facilitate the bike being returned to its owner following recovery.
“Time is of the essence for recovering a stolen bike,” the statement read, adding the more of the above details a theft victim can provide to the police, the more likely it is to be recovered and returned.
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