The growing popularity of the group, called Stolen Bicycle Avengers, shows just how big a problem bike theft is in the city, says its administrator
While many bikes disappear forever, the group’s members have been able to facilitate many “happy reunions” for people with their bikes, said Hall-Patch, whose friend started the group. Hall-Patch became the sole administrator by default after the others moved away or gave up their administrator status.
Although she recently decided to step back from the group due to safety concerns in light of the shooting in Nanaimo of a man who was attempting to retrieve stolen property, she has spent a lot of time driving around between gardening jobs, keeping an eye out for bikes as she drives. “I obviously search exactly where the homeless population is, and have had the most luck with that. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve done it themselves. Or that they’re conscious that somebody else has done it,” she said.
But that’s not where officers have the most success recovering bikes. It’s on the street, where bikes are used as a kind of currency, Healy said. VicPD has many officers who have “a keen interest” in recovering stolen bikes, she said, whether that’s because they’re cyclists themselves or because they understand the impact of losing a bike that can be someone’s only mode of transportation and can cost more than a vehicle.
Last week, officers saw a stolen bike file in VicPD’s dispatch queue, and just a few minutes later, they recognized that same bike on the street. “They were able to arrest somebody and return the bike,” Healy said.Article content That’s why the more information, the better, says Healy, who encourages bike owners to record their bike make and model, serial number and any distinctive features, to take pictures and email the information to themselves or keep it somewhere safe.
Jackie Sadler has been one of those lucky ones. Sadler has had her bike stolen twice. But she’s also gotten it back twice. The first time, four years ago, the bike came back to her two weeks later via VicPD. It had been spray painted and the front tire was popped.Article content “I kind of felt like I was like part of a SWAT team for a second. My heartbeat was so fast,” Sadler said. The man had been in the process of removing parts from the bike, probably to make it less recognizable.Her bike came back to her slightly damaged and with different handlebars and tires and a different seat, but they’re nicer than the parts she had before.
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