Bike Rally Rodeo teaches bike safety and more
The Prince Albert Police Department and the City of Prince Albert have teamed up for an outdoor bike rally on Saturday afternoon at Parkland Hall. The event will include information on bike theft prevention and safety tips to help young cyclists prevent injuries.
Other event partners included Parkland Ambulance, Prince Albert Fire Department, Fresh Air Experience and others who delivered the message of bike safety for the afternoon.
Community Policing Unit Constable Ron Meyers
“We have all come together and we really want to stop bicycle theft in the city and what better way to promote bicycle safety, promote bicycle theft prevention. So really the great thing here today is to really enjoy using the bikes. If a bicycle is stolen, you are not going to enjoy that time together, â€said Constable Ron Meyers of the PAPS Community Policing Unit.
Meyers explained that biking has become a popular, fun and safe outdoor activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We just want to bring back to kids safety etiquette, rules of the road, traffic signs, traffic signs and stuff like that, as well as making sure kids know they are riding a safe mechanical bicycle.” , that’s why Fresh Air is here. tire pressure and everything like that and the same with Parkland, they’re there to promote helmets. We see a ton of children and adults who don’t wear helmets â€,
At the Parkland Ambulance Display, Director of Public Affairs Lyle Karasiuk taught how to properly fit a bicycle helmet, Fresh Air Experience conducted free bike safety checks, and the fire department offered tours of a fire engine.
Meyers explained that on the police side, the community policing unit is really pushing to lock the bikes.
“We have brochures that we distribute. We have a tagline called ‘save it, lock it then report it’. So we really want people to know how to record your serial numbers, take pictures of it and then when they have it and to lock it, unfortunately you have to lock your bike because it can go in such a short time and if it unfortunately arrives stolen, we want you to report it because we want to know right away that we are looking for this bike “,
Before those in attendance set off on an obstacle course safety, the Community Policing Unit outlined the rules of the road and how important it is to record a serial number on every bicycle.
“If you have the serial number, record it or take a picture of it. If we have that, we can find it faster, â€Meyers said.
Meyers explained that the practice of putting serial numbers on bikes only really became important in the 1990s.
“It’s very similar to our fingerprints and no bike has the same serial number,†he explained.
He compared it to a VIN number on a car to keep track of bikes.
“We find it very important that people record these things so that in the unfortunate event that they go missing, the police have a way to get them back if we have them,” Meyers said.
According to a statement from PAPS, bicycle theft is one of the most common types of property crimes reported in Prince Albert. They explained that thieves often target bikes as a means of getting to other areas of our community to commit other crimes, such as break and enter, theft or vandalism. Stolen bikes can also be quickly repainted or dismantled, making them difficult to identify.
Recording details and keeping photos of your bike, and making sure it’s properly locked are some of the best ways to deter bike theft.
They also advise you to keep your receipt as proof of purchase and to make sure to record the serial number, make, model, type and color.
Other community partners who participated in the bike rodeo included SGI, Prince Albert Grand Council, Canadian Tire and the Prince Albert Police Association.
