Bike theft highest in Vancouver: report
Posted July 28, 2016 6:58 am.
Last Updated July 28, 2016 7:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There is a reason why police department across the Lower Mainland are pushing people to keep their bikes locked up properly. A new report from researchers at Square One Insurance finds Vancouver is the bike theft capital of the country.
They say when it comes to per-capita numbers, more than 500 bikes are stolen per 100,000 people in the city. Calgary is second but the statistics show its rate is about half that of Vancouver’s.
“Consistent with what most police departments across Canada are reporting, we are seeing an increasing number of stolen bicycle claims,” says Daniel Mirkovic, President of Square One Insurance. “We predict the rate of stolen bicycles will continue to increase as bicycle lanes become more popular and more bikes are on the road.”
Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal round out the list.
These numbers come just days after Granville Island put in a valet service to hopefully put the brakes on a spike in bicycle thefts.
Police in Vancouver and Surrey have also recently launched initiatives to help cyclists keep their rides — or at least get them back quicker if they get boosted.
In Vancouver there are a couple of options to register your bike, including through the VPD’s Log It or Lose It campaign or with Project 529.
