UPDATE May 1st - , we have recovered more than half of the 15 stolen bikes. Thank you to our friends at We Are Iowa Local 5 News for shedding some light on our cause.
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More than a dozen donated bikes were stolen Wednesday night from a Des Moines nonprofit which is donating 100 bikes to essential workers.
Des Moines' Street Collective, a nonprofit transportation advocacy group, is repairing 100 donated bikesand giving them to essential workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Not all of the 15 stolen adult bikes were going to be given to essential workers, said spokesman Mike Armstrong. Instead, some were going to be donated, while others were going to be sold, with the proceeds benefiting bike donation and other programs.
The stolen bikes had a total value of $3,500, Armstrong said.
Because of the COVID-19 outbreak the Street Collective placed donated bikes in a box truck backed up to its bike shop at 506 E. Sixth St. for three days before they were removed and fixed, Armstrong said. On Wednesday night the truck was broken into and the bikes inside were stolen, Armstrong said.