Eagan Police, Thomson Reuters Give Bikes To Kids In Need

EAGAN, Minn. (WCCO) -- Many kids rely on bicycles not only for recreation, but as their mode of transportation. Which makes it that much worse when their bike is stolen, never to be seen again.

Police in Eagan are trying to fill the empty void left behind.

Every year, thousands of bikes are lost or stolen from Minneapolis alone. Just south of the city, police in Eagan are seeing a lot of kids as the victims.

On Monday, they came together to build dozens of bikes and what they did next was unforgettable.

"I got a bike for my 10th birthday and within about two weeks it was stolen," Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire said.

Maguire remembers how he felt when his bike was stolen.

"When it gets stolen it cuts your freedom back and makes you feel violated," Maguire said. "It was awful, I remember a kid told me to get off my bike. I ran all the way home crying and screaming, telling my mom and dad somebody stole my bike."

On Monday, detective Mark Kritzeck was helping build bikes for kids who had theirs stolen, like he once did.

"That's a traumatic thing for a kid. That's a prized possession," Kritzeck said.

Thomson Reuters donated 100 bikes to the Eagan Police Department. They spent the day building the bikes and delivering them.

Juan Gonzales, 6, had his bike stolen last week. Eagan police surprised him after school Monday with a brand new bike.

"It's great to be able to come out here and build bikes. Not only that, but we're going to be able to deliver these to kids who really need them," Aaron Machtemes with the Eagan Police Department said. "It's a rite of passage to be able to bike around your community and feel like you own the place."

To help police track down your bike in case it gets stolen, you can register your bike on the city government's website.