Police Seek Help to Identify Suspect Who Stole `Ghost Bike’ in Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS (CNS) – Police asked for the public’s help Thursday to identify the person who stole a bike displayed in Palm Springs meant to honor a bicyclist who died in an accident.

"The stolen bicycle was dipped in white paint and stripped of all working parts had been displayed at the intersection of Compadre Road and Ramon Road to honor the memory of an individual who lost their life due to a vehicle/bicycle accident," Palm Springs police said in a statement. "The fact that this bike was stolen is a blatant disregard for the memory of the individual it was intended to honor and the community that came together to make this tribute possible."

The bicycle was donated to Volunteer Palm Springs by the police department, which has collaborated with the organization for several years to promote traffic safety of pedestrians and cyclists, according to police. The bike was dedicated to the PS Cares outreach program, which aims to create a safer environment through its Blink for Safety and Ghost Bikes campaigns.

The Blink for Safety program aims to provide free front and rear blinking bicycle lights to increase visibility for safer streets, according to Volunteer Palm Springs officials. The Ghost Bike project is an effort to remind bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians about bicycle safety through white bikes that serve as roadside memorials for bicyclists who were killed.

Anyone with information on the theft of the Ghost Bike in Palm Springs was asked to call the police department’s non-emergency dispatch line at 760-327-1441.

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