LATE HALLOWEEN BIKE RIDE

Montreal November 3rd 2007 at 6H30 pm on Rachel in Lafontaine Park in front of la Maison des Cyclistes. Everybody is welcome whatever you ride. Come in costume to end the season with a bang and prepare for the next one.

MONTREAL BICYCLE THEFT, A PLAGUE WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?

Ever since I moved to the city I have been surprised on how the situation of bike theft is overwhelming. It seems that locking up your ride outside anywhere in Montreal comes with the understanding that it is not a question of if but when it will be stolen. This explains the numerous old bikes you see people riding around with and their relative high market value in the used bike business. I mean junk 3 speeds that wouldn't fetch $15 at a garage sale in the west island are sold for $100 and up as "vintage cruisers" on Craigslist and they actually DO sell! The fact that bikes are being stolen from a 3rd story balcony without any stairs to get there or that one of 5 tall bikes known to exist in Montreal gets it's lock cut and stolen says a lot about the gravity of the current situation. So I went out and talked to people, did some research and here's what I have come up with.

THE PROBLEM

Bikes are stolen everyday from all kinds of places and thieves are not picky about what they steal. Any ride is fair game. People really don't give a crap if someone is cutting your lock in broad day light and they know that. Most people don't report the loss because either they think the cops won't do anything about it or they don't even know the serial number on their bike. The bastards know that as well. Selling used bikes in Montreal is easy with all kinds of methods from a piece of paper on a post to an add on the web. There is a good market for used bikes in Montreal and the thieves know that too, they thrive on it. That particular part of the equation also brings to mind those of us who don't really mind paying someone cash for a bike that you know is worth a whole lot more. You're a part of the problem too. It has been reported in local media that stealing bikes can be very lucrative for any motivated individual. One number that was brought up last year in an article was $75 000 a year, tax free!

WHAT'S BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.

I was very surprised to learn that the local Police stations on the plateau are actively doing something about bike theft. Without revealing any details that would warn would be bike thieves, let's just say that there are quite a few sting operations during the summer. One of the comments that I noted from my source is that Police officers know their subjects very well and often intercept bike thieves while on patrol. However, often times they come across a known suspect on a bike they know is stolen and unfortunately cannot do anything since the serial number doesn't come up on the CRPQ registry (That's where the number ends up when you bother to report your bike stolen with the serial number). What is being done right now by the Montreal Police dept is by each local station reacting to local concerns. The SPVM should look into this problem as a serious objective for it's entire service very soon. Local neighborhood stations can only do so much. There has been some posts on Craiglslist by someone wanting to start some kind of citizen's watch to prevent bike theft, but replies to the ad from this author were never answered.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The first thing you must do is lock that bike. If it's out of your sight, it should be locked, where ever it is. It's that simple. My bikes sleep indoors and I lock them, remember the 3rd story balcony story? Thieves are like any other predator, they go after easy prey. Know your bike's serial number and report it when it's stolen. You give those morons even more power when they know they can fence that bike without any problems. You can register your bike at
http://www.bikeregistrycanadafr.com/ for $10, but I am not sure that the guys and gals in blue here even know that it exist. What would be great would be a similar service offered for free by the City of Montreal. Especially since they pulled the plug on bike registration back in 1999. Talk to your elected City officials about it, I know I will. Lastly, don't buy a bike you even remotely think is stolen, hit those bastards where it hurts most: the wallet. Here's a simple document you can print and use right now to have your bikes info should the unthinkable happen.
WHAT'S NEXT?

I guess we will have to wait and see. This is not the type of thing that will be fixed by an overnight miracle. It needs a lot of work and the participation of all from the cop, to the politician and you. Your comments here are always welcomed and it's even more than true if you have some ideas that would help out. I have to go now and right down all my serial numbers somewhere. ;)

Ride safe and Godspeed.

Gerry