More than five years after a Kamloops woman had her daughter’s bicycle stolen, police say they were able to locate and return the stolen bike after an eagle-eyed Mountie spotted it.
According to police, the bike was reported stolen in April of 2018 — a black and purple Giant bike taken from a shed.
Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said an officer attending an unrelated call for service on Oct. 23 observed an abandoned bike near a motel on the 1800-block of the East Trans Canada Highway.
“The serial number provided by the victim was the key in being able to identify the bike as stolen and return it to its rightful owner,” she said.
Kamloops RCMP said they encourage residents to continue to take down the serial numbers and other identifying markers on their bikes.
“During the course of our duties, police officers regularly come across bikes — some that are really expensive — that are abandoned or suspected to be stolen,” said Const. Jeff Campbell, the Mountie who located the bike.
“When bike theft victims provide us with a serial number, it makes identifying stolen property possible, so we can return items to their rightful owners and deal with those found in possession of them accordingly.”
Police said when purchasing a second-hand bike, buyers are also encourage to first run the serial number through the Canadian Police Information Centre and contact police if it comes back as stolen.
