For the fourth year in a row, the Kelowna RCMP bike bait was successful.
With the weather improving, more people in the community will be biking around the city and will need to find places to lock them. This brings more opportunities for bike thieves in the city. Therefore, the Kelowna RCMP’s Community Safety Unit (CSU) will be increasing bike baits to catch thieves around town.
On March 30, the CSU dropped a bike in the downtown core for the first time this year. Within a few hours, the bike was stolen. Because of a tracker on the bike, the RCMP caught the thief within minutes. The person arrested has an extensive criminal record, including theft and possession of stolen property. They were released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
“We have put a significant amount of work into upgrading our bait bike program over the past few years and we’re seeing the fruits of our labour on the very first day again,” said Sgt. Scott Powrie. “You won’t know which bikes are ours and you won’t know we’re coming for you until it’s too late.”
The RCMP reminds people to lock their bikes and document where they lock them up by taking a photo or considering an online registry.
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