Portland Bike Theft Task Force receives $4,000 donation from local bike club

Bike Theft Task Force donation-1.jpg

Check presentation in lobby of Portland Police Bureau headquarters on Friday.
Left to right: Officer Dave Bryant, Portland Wheelmen President Ann Morrow, past PWTC President Kathleen Hellem, Police Chief Larry O’Dea, Officer Dave Sanders.

The City of Portland’s Bike Theft Task Force has received a financial boost from the largest bike club in town.

The Portland Wheelmen Touring Club was established in 1971 and currently has 600 members. It’s largest annual event is the Pioneer Century. The club’s current and former presidents, Ann Morrow and Kathleen Hellem, presented a check for $4,000 to the Portland Police Bureau in the lobby of Central Precinct headquarters on Friday. There to receive the check was Police Chief Larry O’Dea and the two officers who lead the bureau’s bike theft prevention and enforcement efforts; Officers Dave Sanders and Dave Bryant. The money will go toward a number of efforts including the development of a bait bike program and ongoing public outreach and education programs. Morrow and Hellem said the PWTC plans to make this donation an annual tradition.

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The Bike Theft Task Force was launched last March and has been crucial in raising the awareness of bike theft in the police bureau and the community at large. Last summer Officers Sanders and Bryant attended several major events where they worked closely with Task Force members J. Allard of Project 529, Bryan Hance of Bike Index and volunteers to register hundreds of bikes. The officers say they’ve made twice the amount of recoveries thanks to internal training and education efforts and a flood of tips coming in from the public via email and the @PPBBikeTheft Twitter account.

Officers Sanders and Bryant have also recently hired a college intern to help add capacity to their efforts.

The Task Force, which also includes myself and a staff member from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, had been meeting regularly until last fall. Now we’re regrouping and planning the second annual Portland Bike Theft Summit which will take place in April. Stay tuned for more as we confirm our 2016 plan of attack.

— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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9watts
8 years ago

Wheelmen?

Patrick
Patrick
8 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Grandfathered.

Adam
8 years ago
Reply to  Patrick

Grandfathered?

canuck
canuck
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam

They have voted numerous times on changing the name and it never passed. They pretty much refer to themselves as PWTC anyway.

Adam
8 years ago
Reply to  canuck

Yeah, I know. I was being a bit facetious. 😉

Gender-neutral names are better, but hopefully most people know that the title is an homage to the “wheelmen” clubs of the late 1800’s and not a group meant to exclude women. Their website could perhaps make this a bit clearer.

Stephen Keller
Stephen Keller
8 years ago
Reply to  Adam

I’ve been a member of the PWTC on and off again. By the look of things, some of us may have been riding in the 1800s. The last time we dropped off the rolls, my wife and I just had to admit that we couldn’t keep up with the old codgers.

37Dennis
37Dennis
8 years ago

Funny,.but it seems those quickist to jump on the bandwagon of criritique, might be cis identified males? Whoda’ thought?

9watts
8 years ago
Reply to  37Dennis

I’m trying to figure out what your point is.

37Dennis
37Dennis
8 years ago
Reply to  9watts

If you think too hard, your brain will fry. Give up.

Chris I
Chris I
8 years ago
Reply to  9watts

The prefer to be called “Wheelpeople”.

J_R
J_R
8 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Just be certain that you “correct” all the references to man and men to gender neutral terms.

As you bike to work, be careful that you don’t crash on a slippery personhole cover on your way to your job at a personufacturing plant.

Granpa
Granpa
8 years ago
Reply to  J_R

Not my problem, I’m in personagement, I have people for that

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
8 years ago
Reply to  9watts

Wheel Bipedal Carbon Based Lifeforms?

Rebecca
Rebecca
8 years ago

Thanks, Portland Wheelmen.

We could get some helpful information from a good bait bike program. It would be interesting to let a bait bike float around for awhile after it gets stolen and follow the chain back a few steps beyond the initial theft. Where does the thief take it? After it gets chopped up and repainted, where does it go from there?

BikeEverywhere
BikeEverywhere
8 years ago

I’m a female member of the PWTC and happy to report there’s no discrimination in this group. They are a super nice and welcoming group. Every member is encouraged to lead rides and hold office. Actions speak louder than words.

Pedal PT
8 years ago

This is such a great group of riders — I’ve met and worked with a lot of the PWTC crew over the years including the Pioneer Century the past few years- This is such great news!

MaxD
MaxD
8 years ago

Vancouver BC published videos from their bait car program. They were pretty entertaining and did a great job of spreading the word about the program which further discouraged car thefts. It is harder to hide cameras and mics on a bike, but some recording that could be posted could help spread the word about thieves and this great program!

Benn Schonman
Benn Schonman
8 years ago

Well done Wheelmen! It’s an honor to ride with such a community minded bicycle club

Andy K
Andy K
8 years ago

I’d rather use community resources to penalize and stop dangerous, violent driving than baiting and imprisoning nonviolent thieves.

scott
scott
8 years ago

The Will Attempt To Return Your Property Task Force got 4k?? Leave your locks at home people. This problem is fixed.

Dave Thomson
Dave Thomson
8 years ago
Reply to  scott

Stupid comment of the week.

scott
scott
8 years ago
Reply to  Dave Thomson

Thanks for joining in. You’re a genius!

Kathleen Hellem
Kathleen Hellem
8 years ago

Great female cyclist in this club too! I like that the money we raise goes to worthy causes! Love PWTC!

Jonathan Maus, thank you for all your volunteering efforts to the community. Glad you’re helping the police with this bike theft project. You’re a huge impact in the community and you have a lot of support from the community and PWTC.