VPD urges you to register your bike to help recover it if it’s stolen

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Vancouver Police are encouraging you to register your bike — which would mean a much better chance of getting it back, in the event it is stolen.

The push coincides with Bike to Work Week.

The force says over 2,000 bicycles are reported stolen in the city every year. While nearly as many are turned in to the VPD, only 10 per cent are actually reunited with their owners. That’s because many people don’t have proper records of the serial numbers and descriptions of their bikes.

The VPD is urging you to register your bike with the 529 Garage. The project launched back in October and since then, over 5,000 bikes have been registered. Police are hoping to double that number.

“What the app and the program allow you to do is provide a bunch of information and have your cycling community assist you in locating your bike, if stolen. It’s completely automated. If you bike is stolen, you log in, enter your information into the app, hit that your bike has been stolen, and have other cyclists look for that and hopefully help you and the police get your bike back,” explains VPD Sergeant Randy Fincham.

“As soon as… you identify your bike has been stolen, it will then send a notification out to other cyclists in a certain vicinity of you with a photograph of your bike, if you choose to do so, helping other cyclists identify where your bike is and alert you through the application and assist you in notifying the police where your bike is,” he adds

He calls the app invaluable, noting police often have challenges returning any stolen bikes that are recovered but not registered.

“What this does is provide a tool for us to easily recognize a 529-registered bike that is likely in a database that we can access without accessing someone’s personal information and determine whether that bike is or isn’t stolen,” says Fincham.

Since 529 Garage started up in BC, 16 registered bikes have been stolen, 10 of which have been returned to owners.

“The biggest recommendation I would make to a bike owner is to accurately record their serial number, take a picture of that serial number, and record the details of their bike. In the event that bike is stolen, you can report that information to police and we can help try and get that bike back,” says Fincham.

Vancouver Police and city staff will be at the following locations this week, registering bikes for free with the 529 Garage bicycle registration and recovery program:

Monday, May 30

2120 Cambie Street
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 31

Broadway and Victoria
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Nelson Park – Nelson and Thurlow
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday, June 1

Vanier Park
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday, June 2

Dunsmuir and Beatty
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Woodland Park – 705 Woodland Drive
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday, June 3

Creekside Community Centre
7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 4

Marpole Community Day – Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre (W.59th Avenue & Oak)
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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