Bait Taken . . .Sinker, Bike & All

Thief Caught Stealing First Bait Bike

Prior to the snow falling, and with bikes still being used in the city, the North Bay Police Service launched a new “bait bike” project in an effort to deter bike thefts and catch offenders in the act stealing them.

“Bikes are and will be strategically deployed throughout the city. Our bikes can be tracked, and if you’re caught taking one, you will be arrested and charged accordingly”, says Inspector of Operations Jeff Warner. “Despite the initiative being launched later than anticipated, we immediately saw results with the bait bike being stolen and one person being charged with Theft and Breach of Probation. Bike thefts occur year-round, and this initiative will be ongoing throughout the year. This might cause offenders to think twice about taking a bike, not knowing if the police are tracking their actions.”

Over 100 bikes have been reported stolen so far in North Bay in 2023. Many of these bikes are never recovered, and rarely get returned to their owners. The North Bay Police Service would like to remind bicycle owners to report the thefts, which will help the service gather the data required to strategically target areas where these thefts are regularly occurring.

Bicycle owners are reminded to take the following safety precautions when possible;

• Park bikes in well-lit areas
• Use heavy-duty locks to secure bikes
• Park bikes in areas designated for bike parking or in areas with CCTV coverage.

Owners are also encouraged to register their bikes with “529 Garage”, a national database of photos and information and individualized stickers for each bike, which the North Bay Police Service can access in an effort to return stolen bikes. “529 Garage” can be accessed through the following link. https://project529.com/garage

Let’s all work together to reduce bicycle theft in our city.