Money photo courtesy dreamstime.com

By Erika Rolling

Crime

Counterfeit money and bicycle theft issues addressed by Grande Prairie RCMP

Aug 11, 2022 | 12:20 PM

Certain crimes in the City of Grande Prairie are being addressed by the Grande Prairie RCMP.

Calls to the police about bikes getting stolen and businesses unknowingly accepting counterfeit money are becoming bigger problems in Grande Prairie.

Bicycle thefts

Constable Lindsay McNab with the Grande Prairie RCMP says her suggestion is to always lock up your bicycle.

“Around this time and months, we see a spike in the theft of bicycles… which makes sense given it’s summer time and people have their bikes out and about.”

“We just want to remind people that we love seeing them out biking and using different modes of transportation, but to remember to lock things up when not using them.”

The detachment says in their most recent newsletter that their stats from 2020 and 2021 show the most reported thefts of bikes were in June, July and August.

Cst. McNab says locking up is a deterrent to those who might want to steal.

“If you don’t have a place to put them inside, make sure you are securing it.”

People are encouraged to note the serial number on their bicycle in the event it may be stolen. It could potentially be reunited with you if police find and recover it.

Counterfeit money

Since May 2022, many local businesses have reported to the Grande Prairie RCMP of counterfeit money being used in the county and city.

The majority of the bills passed were $100, but there were also $20’s and $50’s.

According to the Bank of Canada, once a counterfeit bill or coin is accepted, the person or business bears the financial loss.

“We want local businesses to be aware that this is something we are seeing more and for their employees to be more conscious of knowing what to look for when accepting money,” says Cst. McNab.

Cash should not be accepted when it seems suspicious and should be reported to the RCMP, she suggests.

“Of course, if we can, somehow through investigation charge somebody, there is potential you could get that currency back but that would not be quick.”