Bicycle thefts in Guelph expected to exceed 400 by year end, police say

2016 is expected to go down as another banner year for bicycle thefts in the City of Guelph as police estimate they'll reach over 400 reported thefts by the end of the year.

In the last four years the police have seen bicycle thefts rise from 226 in 2013, 381 in 2014 and 459 last year.

The Guelph Police Service says the bicycle thieves are taking the two wheelers from unlocked garages and sheds as well as ones locked outside of stores, all around the city.

Stolen for parts

Constable Michael Gatto with the Guelph Police Service says the bicycles are being stolen for either parts or being sold outside the city.

He explains in recent search warrant issued on two homes police found 30 bikes which had been in that location for quite sometime.

"We also found within those two homes, bike seats, bike tires, shocks, all sorts of parts from bikes," said Constable Gatto.

"These people who steal bikes are not just using them to ride around for their own purposes."

Thieves target bikes

Constable Gatto suggest cyclists do their best to secure their bike with a heavy duty lock.

"The locks that people use are not strong enough to prevent a culprit from cutting the lock with bolt cutters," he said, though admitted that there's no solution that's 100 per cent guaranteed to stop theft.

Gatto says a lot of thieves are specifically targeting bikes and are going out prepared with the equipment required to steal a bike even if it's locked up.