This Windsor man's bike was stolen. Here's how to keep yours safe

As soon as Windsor resident Dan Devine walked out of a store and saw his e-bike wasn't there, he knew what had happened. 

It had been stolen, almost seven months after Devine purchased it for roughly $1,700.

"You feel like you got punched in the stomach," he said. 

While he's frustrated his main mode of transportation is gone, he said he hopes his situation can be a cautionary tale to others. An expert in the local bike community told CBC News that bikes are being stolen all the time and the situation doesn't seem to be getting any better. 

Devine's e-bike was stolen from the plaza at Tecumseh Road East and Lauzon Parkway on Feb. 26.

He had attached the e-bike to a fire route pole by a cable lock. He said he thought this was the best place, as it was out in the open and the nearby bike parking rack wasn't fixed to the ground. 

After reporting the bike stolen, Devine said police told him they wouldn't be coming to the area, but that he should ask local businesses for their surveillance footage and check online to see if his bike turns up. 

"I thought for a theft of $1,700 that they would definitely come and investigate," he said. 

"I'm not going to walk into a bank and say 'hey can I check out your video surveillance.'"

Const. Adam Young with the Windsor police corporate communications unit told CBC News that each situation is different and he can't confirm whether police went to the scene or not. But he said they don't "tell people to canvass the neighbourhood for their own video." 

Instead, he said they would ask the person reporting the crime to send any video they might have of the bike getting stolen.

"I'm sure it's very frustrating to lose a bike of — you said it was $1,700, that's an expensive bike — it's horrible for that to happen to anyone," Young said. 

"We follow the same procedures and templates to ensure that all of the information is covered and we're being the most effective police service we can for our community." 

Windsor police couldn't provide recent statistics on bike thefts, but Young said there's "always been a lot of bike thefts that happen annually."

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said bike thefts often happen because they are a mode of transportation for someone to get out of an area and that people use them as a form of money. 

Executive director of Bike Windsor Essex, Lori Newton, told CBC News that no bike is truly ever safe, but there are ways to better protect them from getting stolen.

She noted that a lack of proper bike parking in the city is preventing the situation from getting better. 

"If there's no parking there then [cyclists are] having to tie up on something else, which can be a myriad of things and not necessarily very secure," she said.

Of the bike parking that does exist, it can often be hidden behind a store or building, which makes it easier for people to steal bikes, she added.

She also said that cyclists might not be using proper locks. 

Tips to protect your bike 

When locking up a bike, Newton said make sure it's not locked through the wheel, but through the frame. She also said you should get the most expensive lock you can afford. 

"Some people have a more expensive lock than the cost of their bike, because losing their bike would have a huge impact on their day to day," she said. 

Newton also recommended getting a U-lock rather than a chain lock and then also wrapping a chain around your bike and connecting it to the U-lock. 

"Make your bike look like it's the hardest bike in the rack to steal, that's the goal," she said. 

She also recommends that people register their bike with Project 529 — it's an online bicycle registration that helps people when their bikes are stolen. 

Windsor police also have a bike registry that they encourage people to sign up for. 

Essex County OPP Const. Steven Duguay told CBC News that it's best for people to always lock their bikes in well-lit places or store them inside a house or garage.

Duguay said people should properly document the serial number and take photos of their bikes, as that will help in the recovery if it ever gets stolen. 

He also said that people are starting to use GPS trackers on their bikes, to keep them safe.