A disturbance inadvertently helped New West police locate an expensive bike that been stolen a day earlier.
Members of the New Westminster Police Department responded to a disturbance in the 900 block of Quayside Drive about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
“Upon our members arriving, they located and spoke to two New Westminster residents who were on private property,” police spokesperson Sgt. Sanjay Kumar said in an email to the Record. “After a brief conversation, the individuals agreed to leave.”
While speaking to people at the scene, police officers noticed an abandoned, high-end bicycle.
According to a press release from the police department, officers searched for the serial number in the Project 529 Garage database, but it was not on file. Project 529 Garage is a bike registration service that helps connect recovered bikes to their rightful owners.
Officers then contacted the bike shop whose decal was on the bike frame. And luckily for the bike’s owner, the shop had the bike owner’s contact information on file.
“Bicycles can range up to the $10,000 mark, which is more expensive than some cars out there so it’s important to report them stolen,” Kumar said in a press release. “We work to recover and return all bikes that are reported stolen to us. It’s important people get their mobility back.”
Kumar said the bike belongs to a New Westminster resident, who had reported it missing to the New Westminster Police Department 24 hours before it was found. Police report the owner was “extremely grateful” to get his bike back.
Police are asking bike owners to use heavy-duty locks, record their bike’s serial numbers, take photos of their bike and subscribe to Project 529 Garage.
