Stolen bicycles recovered, returned in St. John

Published 10:49 am Wednesday, April 1, 2015

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish deputies returned three stolen bicycles this week, the sheriff announced today.

According to Sheriff Mike Tregre, bicycles were stolen from an open garage, a backyard and a storefront in recent days.

“Through the efforts of alert deputies and information from citizens, deputies recovered the three bicycles and returned them to the owners,” Tregre said in a release. “Boys between the ages of 12- and 14-years-old were responsible for the thefts.”

Tregre said he initiated a bicycle registry program in 2014, encouraging all parish residents to take advantage of the program, which allows community members to register their bicycles through the Sheriff’s Office website, stjohnsheriff.org, or its smart phone APP.

Half of all lost or stolen bicycles end up in law enforcement property rooms with only 2 percent returned to the owner, Tregre said.

“When bicycles are registered, deputies identify the bicycle through the registry and return it to the owner,” he said.