Gillingham lays out plan to help lower bike thefts in Winnipeg
To combat theft, Mayor Scott Gillingham wants to make the city’s bike registry free and make use of technology.
A news release says as many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen every year.
Right now there is a voluntary online registry which costs bicycle owners $7.35.
Gillingham wants a study done to make the process free as well as use technology to better track bikes once they are stolen.
The mayor says registries like 529 Garage and Bike Index in other cities have been successful.
Gillingham says this would allow police to track bikes that end up in other provinces.
He also says owners could use the app-based system to report a stolen bike immediately.
Winnipeg Police told the police board Friday many stolen bikes go unreported and when some are found there is no way to know who owns them if they are not registered.
Numbers from Winnipeg police show there 1,665 bikes stolen in 2022, which is down from 2018 and 2019 when there were 2,049 and 1,823 thefts respectively.
The news release says 1,000 bikes are recovered annually, with less than 10 per cent returned to their owners.
Gillingham says the free registry would be voluntary like the current setup because he says a mandatory one would require enforcement.
Gillingham is planning to bring forward a motion at next week’s Executive Policy Committee meeting for the public service to consult with police, Bike Winnipeg, and the WRENCH on the plan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.