August 1, 2008: Lock It or Lose It

Matt Savage, owner of Savage's Bicycle Centre, displays some of the bicycle locks he sells at his store.

Bicycle theft appears to be on the rise in Fredericton, Savage says.

"This is the worst year I've seen for bike thefts," said Matt Savage of Savage's Bicycle Centre. "We've had kids buying bikes and coming back that afternoon to say it's gone."

He said customers come into his Fredericton shop daily, complaining about stolen bikes.

Savage said stealing bicycles is a lucrative business for criminals as consumers shell out more cash for specialized bikes.

The recent bust of a bike-theft ring in Toronto should be a wake-up call to police that bicycle theft is big business, he said.

"From a law enforcement side, it would be helpful if they took it a bit more seriously," said Savage.

Igor Kenk, a Toronto bike shop owner, was arrested recently following one of the largest bicycle seizures in Canadian history.

Toronto police uncovered more than 3,000 bikes from Kenk's house, business and several storage garages.

Fewer than 400 cyclists have been reunited with their bikes.

About 780 bicycles were reported stolen in New Brunswick in 2007, according to Statistics Canada.

But bike shop owners say that's a fraction of the actual number because many thefts go unreported.

Rick Snyder of Mike's Bike Shop in Dieppe said bicycles are disappearing throughout southeastern New Brunswick.

He said he suspects organized criminals are also scheming to poach more expensive race bikes.

Sgt. Scott MacKenzie of the Fredericton Police Force said officers catalogue about a dozen stolen bicycles a week, adding many go unclaimed.

"Most of the time victims don't contact the station to see if their bike has been turned in," he said.

Const. Damien Theriault of the Codiac RCMP said reuniting owners with stolen bikes is difficult if victims can't provide a serial number or pictures.

"Victims will report a black bike and a specific make but no serial number," he said.

"Even if we do find that black bike of the same make, unless you offer something very specific that can almost be like a fingerprint, it's hard for us to say it's the same bike."

Neither Fredericton- nor Moncton-area police offer a program in which cyclists can register their bikes.

However, several area bike shops do provide the service free of charge.

Cam Crimmins of Radical Edge in Fredericton said most thefts happen because riders fail to properly secure their bikes.

"It's mostly thefts of convenience rather than locks being broken," he said.

"Some people still think that Fredericton is a small town and theft doesn't happen. You can't really think of it that way anymore. People will steal stuff."

Snyder said that's why the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada is exploring microchip technology to track stolen wheels.

The chip would be coded with information and embedded on the bike.

"It should be available in about a year," he said.