Pictures of stolen and found bicycles have been a recurring theme on local social media this year, and the Moose Jaw Police Service has advice on how you can prevent thefts and help them in the recovery of stolen bikes. 

When you first purchase a bike, document that it’s yours, so it’s easier to recover if it is stolen.  

“If they can take a photo of their bicycle, so we have an idea what it looks like, and if they have a receipt or a serial number that they’ve taken from the bike, that’d be a huge for police to help get that back to them,” said Reggie Pawliw , School Liaison Officer with the Moose Jaw Police Service, and part of the Community and Strategic Service department. 

You could also purchase a tracking device for your bike, though results may vary.  

“Some of them are pretty small, so you have to either somehow plant it on the frame of the bike, or somewhere in it, and depending on the thief, they may figure out what it is and get rid of it immediately,” said Pawliw.  

He also recommends motion lights around the area where you are storing your bike to keep would-be bike thieves away. “Any kind of motion light or light at all will deter them coming in that area.” 

Installing cameras is useful when it comes to recovery. “That’s a huge asset as well, not just for them, but for police, we use that for all kinds of evidence,” said Pawliw. 

Making sure that your bike is secure is one of the best ways to prevent it from being stolen.  Pawliw notes, “Some people unfortunately don’t lock up their bikes […] lock them up, whether it’s in the garage, the house, against anything that’s not going to be taken away." 

If your bike is stolen, you should contact the police, and give them the bike’s photo and serial number.   

“Bike thefts are reported almost on a daily basis,” said Pawliw. “We recover bikes on a daily basis as well.” 

Police often find bikes during the execution of search warrants. “There is a good rate where we find the people who are responsible for these thefts. We do obviously place them under arrest for theft. What I’ve been finding lots, though, is when we conduct search warrants on residences, or garages for example, we’re in there and we do find other stolen items there as well.” 

Year-to-date as of September 2023, there were 828 reported thefts under $5000 in Moose Jaw.Year-to-date in Septembe r 2022, the number of thefts under $5000 was 681. 

If you have a stolen bicycle to report, contact the Moose Jaw Police Service at 306-694-7600. 

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