Prisoners fix bikes for chariities
Bunbury police officers have a range of stolen, lost or abandoned bikes that are often handed in or found during daily patrols.
But instead of sending them to Perth for recycling - and receiving a meagre payment - police and the Bunbury Prison have come up with an innovative solution.
The bikes are given to prisoners to repair before they are sent to a not-for-profit organisation.
The program was sparked by Bunbury Prison deputy superintendent Shane Dowell and only started about a month ago. Prisoners have already repaired 17 bikes with many more to come.
"I thought we have the skills here, we have the facilities and it is also good for the reparation for the prisoners to give something back to the community," he said.
Mr Dowell said it was just the start of an ongoing program between the police and the prison.
Bunbury Prison superintendent Kerri Bishop said the program helped prisoners repay a debt to the community and improve their mechanical skills.
She said the challenge was to find a home for the bikes and believed there were many for not-for-profit organisations in Australia and overseas that could benefit.
Bunbury police officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Peter Jenal said the bike donations were a way the police could help not-for-profit groups.
He said it was better to donate the bikes than just recycling them for a small reward.
"I thought we have the skills here, we have the facilities and it is also good for the reparation for the prisoners to give something back to the community" - Shane Dowell
