Was your bike stolen recently? Officers with the Vancouver Police Department may have recovered yours last week from an East Vancouver storage container.
On July 14 the VPD carried executed multiple search warrants on a self-storage facility on East Pender after learning stolen bikes were allegedly being trafficked out of it. Police wound up seizing 27 bikes from the unit, valued at around $45,000. Now police are working to identify the rightful owners.
High-end road bikes, e-bikes, and mountain bikes were among the items seized by police. While some of the bikes had already been reported stolen and will be quickly returned to their owners, other bikes had not been formally reported stolen, the VPD stated in a recent release.
“Even without a serial number, VPD staff can often track down rightful owners by using unique descriptors and features on a bike, so we encourage anyone who has not yet reported their stolen bike to file a police report,” says Sergeant Steve Addison, VPD. “However, the best way to safeguard against bike theft is always to use a durable lock, record your serial number, and register your bike with Project 529."
Bike thefts can be reported online, or by calling VPD’s non-emergency line at 604-717-3321.
The stolen property investigation is ongoing, and charges could be recommended to Crown counsel at the conclusion of the investigation.
