On July 23rd 2020, the Hanover Police Service received a report of a theft of a BMX bike parked at a local business in the Town of Hanover. The investigation resulted in the arrest of a 26-year-old male from Chesley who has been charged with 2 counts of Theft Under $5,000 and Breach of Probation for this bike theft and another theft in the Town of Hanover. The stolen BMX bike has not been recovered and remains outstanding as this time.

On August 14th, Cathy and Dale Cousins from Hanover’s Canadian Tire Store donated a brand new bike, bike helmet and bike lock to the victim of this theft, 10-year-old Jose and his family, turning a bad story into a good one.

The Hanover Police Service is reminding the public that bike theft remains an ongoing problem for communities across Canada and bike owners should lock their bikes and have them properly secured at all times to prevent theft.

Bike owners should also record their make, model and serial number of their bikes to keep for their reference to provide to police if they ever find themselves victim’s of bike theft. It really is as simple as taking a photograph of their bike and the serial number and then saving it on a smart phone or a computer for their future reference.

The Hanover Police Service routinely receives reports of found and abandoned bikes and currently has 35 recovered since January that have not had the rightful owners identified. They have recovered stolen bikes from as far away as the City of Guelph, simply because the owner recorded the serial number and contacted the local police in that jurisdiction to report the theft.

If you are the victim of a bike theft in Hanover, you are encouraged to contact the Hanover Police Service at 519.364.2411 to report the theft so that Hanover officers can determine if we are currently in possession of your bike.

source: media release, Hanover Police Service