Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Two Prince George bike thefts in under five hours prompt RCMP reminder

Bikes returned to owners after being taken from downtown, near Highway 97
Bike Theft stock
A bike thief with pliers (via Shutterstock)

Prince George RCMP is reminding all bike owners to take all measures necessary to ensure your two-wheeler is safe and secure.

This comes after police recovered two bikes that were stolen from two separate locations in the city yesterday (April 9) in under a five-hour span.

"This shows how quickly a bike thief can disappear from the scene of the crime, even when the crime is reported right away," says RCMP Cpl. Craig Douglass in a statement. "Within a few short minutes the thief, and the bike, can be halfway across town. The message here is that owners need to take steps to prevent their bikes from being stolen, even at a public place during daylight hours."

Around 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Mounties received a report of a stolen bike near a convenience store off Highway 97 near 15th Avenue and Central Street by a male youth suspect who fled the scene and has yet to be found since the publication of this article.

The bike was eventually found near the corner of Winnipeg Street and 20th Avenue and it was believed to be unlocked for a few minutes outside the store before it was taken.

Less than five hours later, a second bike was stolen downtown in the 300-block, Victoria Street and according to a witness, they claimed to see a man using an old pair of pliers cut off the lock off of the bike and rode off with it.

The 54-year-old suspect was caught within a few minutes of the filed report after his description was matched by Prince George RCMP Supt. Brown and Insp. Wright when they took notice of the man while driving towards the intersection of Second Avenue and Dominion Street.

He fled to a nearby parking lot where he was caught by the two high-ranking officers, the bike was returned to its owner, and he is scheduled to appear in court at the end of May.

"The Prince George RCMP already have had 28 bicycles reported stolen so far in 2019" added Cpl. Craig Douglass in his statement. "Some were locked, some were not. Some were in sheds, some were taken from living rooms during a break & enter. No matter where you store your bike, it should always be locked with a high-quality bike lock."

RCMP are also suggesting bike owners register with the free 529 Garage app, which allows police to track missing bikes with all the information needed to find them, including the serial number.

This is the fourth year local Mounties will partner with the program.

Anyone with more information on stolen bikes is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300.