Battling bike theft at top of Loney’s priority list

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This article was published 30/08/2022 (1143 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Combating bike theft will be a priority for Shaun Loney if he’s elected to become Winnipeg’s next mayor.

Loney said between 2,000 and 3,000 bikes are reported stolen to Winnipeg Police Service each year, though the actual number may be much higher, as many victims don’t bother, knowing that there’s almost no chance they’ll ever see their property again.

To address the issue, Loney says he would replace the city’s current bike registry with one that shares more information with police to help boost recovery, such as by adding a program that shares registration numbers with multiple law enforcement agencies.

He would also attempt to convince police to create at least one new dedicated position to combat organized theft rings and use more “bait bikes” to deter thieves. Since council can’t direct police operations, this would require WPS support.

If elected, Loney also promises to:

• Eliminate the fee to register a bike.

• Offer a per-bike incentive for retailers to help ensure customers register new bikes at the point of sale.

• Push for new minimum, mandatory requirements for long-term bike parking at new developments, major transit stops and civic facilities.

• Expand the availability of high-quality, tamper-resistant bike lockers, video monitoring and weather-protected bike parking options.

• Launch a voluntary program that highlights buildings and places with “best practice” secure bike storage.

• Pay cycling and other community organizations on a per-bike-registered basis to get as many registered as possible.

• Launch a dashboard on the city’s website and an annual report with statistics and mapping on bike theft.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca