BPS gets $65K to target bike theft, recidivism

As bike thefts continue to spike in Brandon, the provincial government announced on Monday it will invest $65,000 in combating bicycle thefts and reducing recidivism.

As part of Manitoba's share of forfeited funds from federally prosecuted Criminal Code offences, Brandon Police Service will receive $43,100 toward Brandon's Bicycle Theft Prevention Strategy and $22,100 for the Recidivism Rate Reduction Strategy.

"These are very exciting projects," Premier Brian Pallister said during a funding announcement in Brandon, adding the strategies were built off ideas put forward by front-line workers in the community who are seeing the issues first hand.

"These are proceeds of crime-funded announcements with a preventative aspect that's going to make Westman, Brandon and Manitoba safer."

Brandon's Bicycle Theft Prevention Strategy will look at creating an online bicycle registry through Project 529 Garage, a bike registry app, to help improve the chances of returning stolen bikes to their owners.

The strategy also aims at building partnerships among the City of Brandon, local bike shops, educational institutions, the Brandon Bear Clan and other organizations to distribute and discuss bike theft prevention information.

"The goal is to do a better job of marking and identifying bicycles," Pallister said. "Having had my bike stolen not once but twice in the last five years, I can tell you it does make you feel really vulnerable. If I could have got my bike back through some sort of an identification system like we're talking about, it would have been great."

Bicycle parking will also be improved in high-traffic areas.

BPS recorded 92 bikes stolen in 2016, Chief Wayne Balcaen said. As of Dec. 11, there have been 265 bikes stolen in 2018 -- a 188 per cent increase.

"Our intelligence has actually shown (bikes) are being used as a street commodity for the purchase of drugs," Balcaen said. "A lot of times bikes will be stolen, and they can be worth approximately $1,500 to $2,000, and they'll be traded off for $10 to $20 worth of methamphetamine or other drugs. So there's a lot of victims in this crime."

Funding for the Recidivism Rate Reduction Strategy will help offenders released from the Brandon Correctional Centre find employment and develop the skills they need to successfully reintegrate into the community.

The pilot project will target 10 repeat offenders looking to break the cycle of crime in their lives and connect them with community partners, including the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, the John Howard Society of Brandon, the Brandon Literacy Council and the Samaritan House Employment Centre.

"This is an additional investment, particularly dealing with the recidivism of repeat offenders," Justice Minister Cliff Cullen said. "We want to make sure that people have the resources they need so that they can get back into society -- whether that be education or training in terms of getting access to jobs, that's the key thing ... If they can get into the work force and keep their hands busy, then they can be (in the community) to support both themselves and their family."

Almost $450,000 through the Proceeds of Crime Fund has been allocated to support 14 projects across the province.

Rivers Police Service received $3,100 toward their Rivers Police Cadet program, which focuses on crime prevention through positive and proactive interaction with the police.

Portage la Prairie RCMP also received $25,000 to create The Portage Hub -- a new Community Mobilization Project that will use professionals to proactively detect harm or risk in individuals or families before it occurs.

Brandon's Community Mobilization Unit has been a huge success, especially in dealing with people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, Cullen noted.

Winnipeg Police Service will receive approximately $243,000 in funding toward multiple projects, including Bear Clan Patrol infrastructure improvements, community-based "Complex Trauma" educational videos for school-aged children exploring what leads to alcoholism, drug use and gang involvement, and developing an "interactive crime prevention and reduction" mobile app.

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