LETTER – More needs to be done to prevent bicycles from being stolen
(Image: Pixabay.com)
What is our city doing to curb the bike theft problems?
I was walking along the rivers trail at Royal Avenue and met a By-Laws officer who was carrying what was left of a Mountain Bike, it was a frame, it had been stripped of most of its parts. She said this is a daily occurrence.
We have all seen them, dark figures riding bikes without helmets and often wearing more than one blackened backpack. I saw one riding on Victoria street with a giant bolt cutter in his backpack. Why is this normal street behavior in Kamloops?
Yes I realize the replacement of bicycles that have been stolen is not a taxpayer issue. Taxpayers have to pay to replace their own stolen bicycles. Often this is an expensive endeavor many bikes costing more than the cars on our streets. This leaves a citizen without mode of transportation, or recreational outlet.
We should be promoting cycling to reduce our carbon footprint, increase the support of downtown business (“When New York City introduced segregated bike lanes the average trade rose by 24%.” Peter Walker the Guardian).
We should be planning on how cyclists can feel safe, not only on our excellent Rivers Trail and it’s future connections but when we lock up our steeds to check out a library book, or grab a coffee. I highly recommend 529 Garage as a preventative measure. Our city is proudly known world wide as a Cycling Meca bringing tourists from all over the world to ride their bikes here.
What can our city do? What should we as concerned citizens do?
LINDA KEHOE
(Tribe leader of the Cycling Chix, we might be old hens but we can ride circles around young chicks.)
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Is 529 Garage available here?
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There was an excellent feature on NPR in 2012 about bike theft in San Francisco. The following quote stuck in my mind: “[Bike theft] is one of the solvents that makes the underground economy in America run,” Patrick Symmes tells NPR’s Neal Conan. “Police have — officer after officer told me — there’s four currencies: there’s cash, sex, drugs and bikes because you can steal them.” The four currencies have exchange rates. Certain bike parts are worth certain amounts of drugs, money, sex. At the time, SF police dept had four officers assigned to bike theft.
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Part of the cycling infrastructure the issue of having somewhere safe to park the bicycle is sure an important one which has been overlooked for now.
Camera surveillance, dedicated lockers and other measures will need to be considered if we want more bicycling commuting.
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