Man steals bike in Richmond, gets arrested 10 minutes later

“Zero to arrest in 10 minutes.”

That’s the message Richmond RCMP has for would-be bike thieves after a bike thief was arrested recently, 10 minutes after stealing what turned out to be a bait bike.

In a release issued today, Richmond RCMP said the incident took place late last week in the Richmond City Centre corridor at 6:50 pm, when officers deployed a bait bike.

Just 10 minutes later, in the 6300 block of No. 3 Road, those same officers arrested the person who stole the bike.

Now, 33-year-old Darren Belcourt, of no fixed address, has been charged with one count of Theft Under $5,000.

Richmond RCMP said Belcourt is a prolific offender and well-known to them.

“Any tool is only as good as its effectiveness and results,” said Richmond RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang. “In this case, with respect to bike thieves, our Bait bike program is off to a fantastic start.”

Hwang added police have a simple, but straightforward message for future would-be thieves: “Bait bikes are everywhere in Richmond. If you steal one, we will arrest you.”