Thieves Steal 18 Bikes From Vancouver School Trailer
Clark County deputies are investigating the theft of bicycles used in a grant-funded bike safety program at Salmon Creek Elementary School.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Property Crime
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Deputies are investigating the theft of 18 bicycles valued at $23,000 from a storage trailer at Salmon Creek Elementary School in Vancouver. Six of the stolen bikes were recovered in Hazel Dell the following day.
Why it matters
The trailer held equipment for a grant-funded bike safety education program, and three of the stolen bikes were adaptive bikes for students with differing physical abilities and needs. Twelve bikes remain unrecovered, leaving the program without equipment.
Clark County deputies are investigating the theft, and six of the 18 stolen bikes have been recovered in Hazel Dell. Twelve bikes remain unrecovered, and no arrests have been reported.
The players
Clark County Sheriff's Office
The sheriff's office serving Clark County, Washington, which is investigating the theft and recovered six of the stolen bikes.
Salmon Creek Elementary School
The Vancouver elementary school whose storage trailer was the site of the theft and which housed equipment for a bike safety program.
The details
Two people were seen on surveillance video taking bikes from the trailer around 1:30 a.m. Monday, after staff discovered the bikes missing when they opened the trailer that morning. The stolen bikes included Haro and Fairdale models and a recumbent tricycle.
Timeline
Monday, around 1:30 a.m.: Two people take bikes from the storage trailer at Salmon Creek Elementary School.
Monday: Staff open the trailer and discover the bikes missing.
The following day: Deputies recover six stolen bikes in Hazel Dell.
Legal Context
Thefts of bicycles from school and community bike programs have recurred across the Portland-Vancouver metro area, and this case fits that pattern of unsecured program equipment being targeted. The loss of adaptive bikes, which serve students with differing physical abilities, makes this theft more consequential than a typical property crime.
Parents and families whose children use school bike programs should check whether equipment is secured after hours, and anyone who sees the stolen bikes is encouraged to contact the Clark County Sheriff's Office. The theft removes adaptive bikes from a program serving students with differing physical abilities and needs.
The takeaway
Securing shared program equipment after hours can prevent losses that fall hardest on the students who rely on it. Anyone with information about the remaining 12 bikes should contact investigators.
Further reading
For more local reporting, see Property Crime coverage in Vancouver.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOIN 6 Portland.
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