A lack of product has forced the police services in Winkler and Morden to cancel their annual joint fundraising bike auction for 2019.

Currently, there are only 20 bicycles in storage at the Winkler Police Service that were collected throughout 2018.

"We just felt it wasn't going to be worth-while having an auction for that this year," said Chief of Police Ryan Hunt.

In fact, Hunt says the number of stolen and recovered bicycles in Winkler has gradually decreased over the years. According to records, 92 bicycles were reported stolen in 2012 with 76 turned in to the police service. In 2018 the department only had 24 bicycles reported stolen and 29 recovered bikes.

It's a similar situation in Morden where the police service only has about a dozen bikes in storage compared to the typical 30-35.

"I'm hoping it means that fewer bikes are being stolen and dropped off or recovered by us," said Morden police chief, Brad Neduzak who hopes this is a positive trend for the city. "Or maybe people just aren't reporting their bikes missing, but we're hoping, in fact, it is because the numbers are decreasing."

Chief Hunt also hopes the decline in bike thefts in Winkler is due to people locking up their property.

The two agencies will hang on to the 2018 bike collection and combine it with what is collected this year in hopes of running the auction in 2020.

In 2018, 74 bikes were sold at the joint fundraiser at an average of $40 each for a total $3,000. Each police department designates what organization will benefit from the funds generated annually.

Morden Police Chief Brad Neduzak. File photo.