Clamping down on Granville Island bike thefts
Thieves will be disappointed to hear officials are stepping up to put the brakes on out of control bike theft on Granville Island.
The tourist hot spot and beloved haunt has become the riskiest place to park a bike in Vancouver, with higher theft numbers there than any other location citywide.
A new joint initiative is all about making bike theft more difficult and boosting cyclist awareness of prevention methods that work. Loaner locks, valet parking, free bike registration, bait bikes and an information campaign are some of the measures coming or already in place.
Const. Rob Brunt, of the Vancouver Police Department, says awareness is a key part of the initiative. Riders need to have a proper lock and know how to use it.
If you use a cable lock, don’t — unless it’s used in tandem with something far stronger. Bike racks around Granville Island are peppered with signs warning those type of locks just don’t cut it.
Brunt uses a high-end folding lock that shows battle scars from thwarted theft attempts.
“I’ve got a grinder mark on mine from one attempt, I’ve got bolt cutter marks from another attempt, and it’s been bent by a pry bar,” Brunt said.
Some Granville Island shops have started to loan out top-of-the-line devices. Cyclists can now pop into a half dozen shops (the list and more information is at granvilleisland.com), leave photo ID and borrow one of their ABUS Bordo 6000 folding locks.
No matter what kind of lock you use, double check that it’s connected through the frame, at least one wheel and the bike rack itself, Brunt said. Also, don’t lock to street signs or “sucker poles,” as Brunt called them, noting they can be lifted out of the ground.
Brunt is the driving force behind bringing bike registration initiative 529 Garage to the city. Anyone heading to the island can get registered for the program, which helps put stolen bikes back in the hands of owners. About 9,200 city residents have signed up.
For the remainder of summer, cyclists can also hand their rides over to a bike valet run by sustainable transportation group BEST. The service is free, though tips are appreciated. Sinéad Stinson, a bicycle valet co-ordinator, said the Vancouver-based group parked 23,000 bikes last year at various events.
More than 150 bikes were nabbed in a two-block area of Granville Island in the last four years, and that’s only thefts reported to police. They were among 10,000 stolen citywide in four-and-a-half years.
Scott Fraser, a Granville Island spokesman, said parts of the initiative will be permanent, including the signs and loaner locks. Others, like the valet service, are for a limited time.
If the joint initiative is successful, Brunt said it could be taken to other high theft locations, such as Creekside. The Vancouver park board is already offering a loaner lock program at Creekside and Mount Pleasant community centres.