ON May 9, shortly after 6:15 p.m., Richmond RCMP received a report of a theft in progress in the 5900-block of Minoru Boulevard. According the complainant, a man wearing a black baseball cap, green hoodie and dark camo backpack had stolen a small white e-bike from a bike rack.

Two Richmond RCMP officers conducting bike patrols in the area quickly responded, locating and arresting the suspect. In addition to arresting the suspect, the officers recovered and returned the e-bike to its lawful owner.

“Our Bike Patrol Unit is deployed in the downtown core to provide a quick and agile response to reports of theft, and provide a visible presence to deter criminal activity,” says Staff-Sgt. Paula Maan, Richmond RCMP Proactive Enforcement and Admin Services. “Since implementing these patrols, our officers have arrested and recovered tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of property. We want those committing crimes in our community to know that we are out there, and they will be held accountable.”

The suspect was released on a police undertaking with conditions, and charges are being pursued. This investigation remains active and ongoing.

Bike theft safety tips:

There are a number of steps people can take to help prevent their bicycle from being stolen including:

* Never lock your bike by the front wheel only;
* Always lock your bike with two quality locks: use a U-lock and a cable lock. By using more than one style of lock it will take thieves two types of tools and twice as much time to steal your bike.
For more ways to protect your bike from theft visit the BC RCMP website.

Richmond RCMP encourage anyone who sees a potential crime in progress or something suspicious to report it to police.