JUMP bikes linked to crime jump

August 16, 2019 11:45 pm

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Are JUMP bikes part of a crime jump?

Police say there have been several recent incidents involving JUMP bikes — the latest on Thursday.

“There were reportedly 100 young people on these bikes wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods,” said City Council Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan, “involved in robberies and thefts and the like.”

The Dollar Tree on Killingly Street was one of the targeted spots.

Residents say it’s a major safety issue.

“Always a pack of them, always driving basically reckless,” said Winston Jasquez of Providence. “Kids all over the road, driving all over the place, and it’s really not safe. Those bikes, they’re not really something they’re using for the good.”

“We are hearing that all over the city our constituents, our residents, our taxpayers, are very concerned with the use of these bikes,” Ryan said. “And the company has an obligation to manage and maintain them in a safe fashion.”

“These reports are concerning and something we take very seriously,” said a JUMP spokesperson.

Leader Ryan believes the bikes need better locks, and is willing to pull them altogether if the problems are not fixed.

“I’m prepared to ask to suspend the program if we can’t get control of it,” she said.

But people who rely on the bikes say that would be a huge loss.

“It kind of makes me mad,” said Iminol Sanchez of Providence. “Because it’s such a good thing for the city and the community, and there’s a few people that are messing it up.”

Leader Ryan says a report on the JUMP bike program will be presented to city council next week.