thefts.

Every year, Det. Con. Chris Wilcox told The Royal Gazette , up to 1,500 motorcycles are stolen.

Last year alone thieves made off with more than $2 million worth of cycles. A majority of the motorcycles were Yamahas and less than third, or 29 percent, of them were recovered.

Police are now attempting to stop other cycle owners from joining the statistics by running a free cycle-marking campaign on Front Street this weekend.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Friday, Police cadets will `U' mark cycles brought to the western entrance of Number One Shed.

The cadets will be on hand until 2 p.m. that day and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

In the event of inclement weather the `U' marking will take place inside the western entrance of the shed.

Cycle owners will be given `U' mark stickers and details relating to their cycles will be recorded on index cards kept by Police.

Cycle owners can also borrow electric engravers from any of the three Police stations or the Crime Prevention Office at Prospect without charge any time of the year.

But Det. Con. Wilcox said Police hoped that cycle owners would take advantage of the weekend campaign.

Noting that 45 percent of all cycles are stolen in Pembroke and more than 200 are stolen from the City of Hamilton on average, he also listed other ways cycle owners could reduce cycle theft.

They included: Buying a "really good'' cycle lock such as the Kryptonite and using it; Customising cycles -- "the more your cycle stands out from the crowd, the less likely it will be stolen''; Parking cycles in an open area during the daytime where they can be easily seen, and as close as possible to the owner's destination, preferably under a street light, at night; and Not leaving a crash helmet with a cycle.

"It may be the very thing which attracts the thief to your cycle in the first place,'' Det. Con. Wilcox said. "After all, the last thing a thief wants is to be pulled over by the Police for not wearing a crash helmet.'' He also urged cycle owners to report the theft to Police and their insurance company as soon as possible.