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A Port Coquitlam man has received a jail sentence of 20 days already served in custody following an arrest last year for stealing a bait bike on the North Shore.
On July 6, 2022, the North Vancouver RCMP parked a bait bike on Marine Drive in North Vancouver. Shortly after it was parked, a suspect broke the lock and rode off.
Unbeknownst to the bike thief, police were nearby and were alerted when the bike was moved. With the police on his tail, the man was arrested a short distance away.
Officers on the scene were surprised when the man told them he knew it was a bait bike but stole it anyway, said Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.
A year after his arrest, Chad James Powell, 34, pleaded guilty to theft and was given a 20-day jail sentence in North Vancouver provincial court July 7. He was credited a 30-day pre-sentence time served in custody.
According to North Vancouver RCMP, there has been a bait bike program in North Vancouver since 2014. It was the first of its kind in B.C., and other RCMP detachments have modeled their programs around North Vancouver’s, said Sahak.
“We have a large fleet of bait bikes of every kind ranging from road racing to full suspension downhill bikes.
“It’s no secret that bike theft is a problem in North Vancouver. That’s why we have adapted our response to meet the ever-changing needs of our communities,” said Sahak.
The bait bikes can be parked in any neighbourhood year-round, and the arrest rate is very high for theft of bait bikes, said Sahak.
Bike owners are encouraged to register their bikes with 529 Garage at www.529garage.ca or with the bike manufacturer. Registering a bike will help police return a stolen bike to the proper owner.
Meanwhile in court, Powell also pleaded guilty July 7 to driving while prohibited in West Vancouver and possession of a stolen BMW X5 car in West Vancouver, both on Nov. 7, 2022, and theft of merchandise from Simons in Park Royal on Nov. 2, 2022. He received a one-year driving ban and $500 fine for the driving offence, and the same 20-day jail sentence of time already served on the other offences. Powell has also been placed on probation for one year.
