Police recover over $70,000 worth of stolen bikes in ByWard Market
![Stolen bikes Stolen bikes](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2018/9/6/stolen-bikes-1-4083410-1701792082393.jpg)
The Ottawa Police Service has recovered 56 stolen bikes from the ByWard Market area, valued at approximately $71,050.
A new bike initiative run by the OPS D Platoon team conducted the recovery efforts between mid-May and mid-October.
In a news release on Tuesday, police say 32 of the 56 stolen bikes, valued at $42,600, were returned to their owners in person. 24 bikes, valued at $28,450, were found abandoned by police and their owners are still being sought.
29 of the 32 bikes returned to their owners were registered through the 529 Garage app or identified by police using the Stolen Bikes Ottawa Facebook group. The other three bike owners were identified through police reports.
Police said in 2021 that about 1,000 bicycles are stolen city-wide every year. Between 2016 and 2021, over 5,000 bikes were stolen, worth an estimated value of $3.3 million.
"During the pandemic, Ottawa has seen a record number of bike thefts, driven by their increasing value and unmatched versatility," said acting staff sergeant Evan Hung, who led the OPS bike initiative.
"Social media platforms, including Facebook and specialized platforms like 529 Garage, have proven to be an asset for law enforcement and bike owners."
Ottawa Police say they use digital tools to connect with the community, including sharing of key bike descriptors, to allow residents to play a role in the recovery of stolen bikes.
The D Platoon team also conducted a bike theft survey with the victims of thefts encountered through the initiative, which will be shared in the coming weeks.
Cylists can register their bikes on the 529 Garage app to let thieves and potential future buyers know the bike is registered to help police locate and return the bike if it’s stolen.
Victims of bike theft in the city can make a police report online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978861.1722008569!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are "standing and intact," including its iconic main lodge.
Major Canadian bank dealing with direct deposit outage on pay day
Scotiabank has acknowledged technical difficulties affecting direct deposits as clients report missed payments Friday morning. On Friday morning, the bank's client services phone line was playing an automated message assuring customers that work was underway to rectify the outage.
Elon Musk's estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood
Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, publicly refuted several recent anti-trans statements her Tesla CEO and X owner father has made about her.
Reported rate of child pornography increased 52% in 2023, total crime up 3%: Statistics Canada
Last year, reported child pornography cases increased by more than 50 per cent in Canada, in part due to more cases being sent to police by specialized internet child exploitation units, according to a Statistics Canada report.
Sask. appeal court says anti-trans group cannot join constitutional dispute over pronoun law
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
Justin Timberlake's attorney disputes he was intoxicated when arrested for DWI
A hearing in the case of Justin Timberlake being accused of driving while intoxicated was held Friday, where an attorney for the singer disputed his arrest in June.
What we know about 'malicious' attack on French train network ahead of Olympics opening
French transport was thrust into chaos Friday just hours ahead of the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony after a series of co-ordinated 'malicious acts' upended high-speed train lines.Here's what happened and what we know so far.
When Barbie learned what a gynecologist was, so did many other people, according to new study
A new study published Thursday in the journal JAMA Network Open has found that the ending in the 2023 blockbuster film 'Barbie' had an influence on online search interest in terms around gynecology, the branch of medicine that deals with women’s reproductive health.
Canada Soccer head investigating 'systemic ethical shortcoming' amid spying scandal
Canada Soccer chief executive officer Kevin Blue said he was investigating a potential 'systemic ethical shortcoming' within the program but has not considered pulling the women's soccer team from the Paris Olympics due to a drone spying scandal.