VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A Metro Vancouver cycling group says police need to do a better job of helping out when bikes are stolen.

Erin O’Melinn with HUB wants the crime taken more seriously.

“We’d like police to act more quickly when they have a report of a [stolen] bike and we’d like more acknowledgement that it has been received when you report a stolen bike and that they will get back to you if they do recover your bicycle.”

She notes the crime makes life hard on those who use bikes as their main form of transportation. “Bicycles are so important to so many people in this city because they may not have a car, [or] transit may not serve them well; they may not be able to access transit for economic or other reasons.”

Yesterday, we told you the story of a woman who stole back her stolen bicycle after seeing a Craigslist ad. O’Melinn says that’s a sign of an inadequate bike recovery system.