LCI student Nathan Sherwood brings the lock cut off his 4th bike

By Lara Fominoff

14-year-old LCI student offers potential solutions to help mitigate bike thefts

Sep 29, 2019 | 10:20 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Dressed in a crisp, white shirt, tie, slacks, and polished shoes, 14-year-old Grade 9 LCI student Nathan Sherwood carried his solid steel U-shaped bike lock to a podium, as he addressed the Lethbridge Police Commission Wednesday evening (Sept. 25).

The bike lock he held up for the Commission members to see had been cut with an angle grinder. It was the fourth time someone had cut one of his locks to steal his bike. He was tired of it.

Someone used an angle grinder to cut his steel lock

Instead of simply accepting the reality that bikes get stolen all-too frequently in Lethbridge, he called Mayor Chris Spearman’s office and made an appointment to see him. Spearman, he said, encouraged him to research possible ways to mitigate the number of bikes stolen every day in the city, and to present his findings to the Police Commission.

That’s exactly what he did.

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Sherwood’s presentation included references to Calgary and Edmonton’s participation in the non-profit “Bike Index” which allows people to register their bikes on the site and then edit the status of their bike if it’s been stolen.

Sherwood addresses Lethbridge Police Commission members Sept. 25

“So you register your serial number and if a bike is stolen, you can run it through the system, and it tells you if a bike has been registered and if it’s stolen, even if you haven’t filed a police report yet.”

Those wanting to buy bikes from sites like Craigslist or Kijiji – and even pawn shops – can access the site to see if someone who’s trying to sell a bike, might be selling stolen property.

Another idea he researched, came from the United Kingdom.

“The police there offer UltraViolet pens, so you can mark your name and information on your bike or electronic. And if it’s stolen, they can take an UltraViolet light and shine it on it and see whose it is.”

Lethbridge Police Service Acting Chief Scott Woods says Sherwood had some great ideas, and they’re also looking at different options, including a bike registry in the future.

“We are moving along; it just hasn’t moved as quickly as we want. One of the things that Nathan brought up that I found very interesting, was some of the things that they’re doing in the UK as far as UV lights and identifying bicycles this way. We want to work with him going forward.”

He confirms that there has been a sharp increase in the number of bike thefts over the last couple of summers in Lethbridge. Police have had some success breaking down a couple of “chop shops” where bikes are going in, they’re being sold, and serial numbers are being ground off. Some are also spray painted or have other parts added or taken away from them.

“We certainly understand the frustration,” he adds. “We ask people to lock things up and do all the things right – and then you still have law abiding citizens like Nathan coming with his lock cut. It’s frustrating for them as well as us.”

And while Woods can’t say exactly how many bikes are taken each year, one look inside the bike compound immediately west of the main LPS building shows that dozens are recovered every week. “Joe,” who maintains the lock-up says he can get anywhere from 10-30 bikes a week. Many are never claimed – including some worth thousands of dollars. After a certain period of time, they’re simply sent to an auction house.

He recommends people try at least, to place some sort of identifying markers on their bikes in places that aren’t very obvious, so then at least if the serial number is ground off, or a police report isn’t filed, the owner might be able to ID their bike in other ways.

For Nathan, he will be taking as many precautions as he can. He just told the Commission he hopes that something is done, so his fifth bike doesn’t go missing.