Winnipeg bike group hopes to use survey results to reduce bike theft
Questions geared around whether stolen bikes were recovered, and how
A Winnipeg cycling advocacy group has issued a survey on bike theft with the hope of reducing crime and finding lost bikes.
"Our goal is to get more people biking more often," said Charles Feaver, a volunteer with Bike Winnipeg.
"Bike theft is really messing that up."
On Saturday morning, the organization launched an online survey to gather people's experiences of having their bicycles stolen. Questions included what people have done to try to recover lost bikes, whether they were successful, and whether registering a bike on Winnipeg's bike registry had been helpful.
The survey, which closed Monday night, had 300 respondents.
Winnipeg police said 2,100 bicycles were reported stolen in 2020.
Crime of opportunity
Today, they're stored in the middle of his living room, surrounded by his novelty swords.
"Because if they want to take it, then they have to come in and fight me for it," he said.
He said he's lucky to have a bike cage at work that he locks his bike in after commuting. He urges people to register their bikes with the city so if police find it, it can be returned to them.
"We have systemic problems that we need to solve before we can make a dent in bike theft," he said.
Feaver said so far, he understands many bicycle thefts to be crimes of opportunity. It's easy to steal a bicycle that's not locked up well and sell it for cash, he said.
One day he had two bicycles stolen from the side of his house. All that was left was the chain he used to lock up his bicycle to his radiator.
"[I] learned a lesson. Even a good chain isn't good enough," Feaver said.
Bike Winnipeg has repeatedly recommended using two locks — a cable and a U lock — and always securing both wheels and the frame to whatever you're locking your bike to. The group has also been advocating for more long-term bike storage areas in the city.
Over the next few weeks, Feaver will analyze the results of the survey and meet with the rest of Bike Winnipeg to discuss what he's found with other members of the advocacy committee.
He's also asking the community for help.
"If anybody has good ideas on how to deal with bicycle theft, send us a note," Feaver said.
"I'm hoping with the combination of the survey and other research that we can come up with a plan."
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