Surrey RCMP has partnered with an online bike registration and recovery service to help reduce bike theft in the city of Surrey and return recovered bikes to their rightful owners.
As part of its commitment to reduce property crime across the city, the Surrey RCMP has partnered with Project 529 Garage (www.project529.com), a website and phone app that allows cyclists to easily and securely register their bikes online.
Registration is free and users can broadcast "missing bike bulletins" to the 529 community and social networks to assist in recovering a stolen bike. Bike owners also have the option of affixing a tamper resistant sticker with a registration number on their bike for easy identification.
Bike theft victims often don’t have the serial number or adequate detail to identify their bike successfully, making it very difficult for police to reunite recovered bikes with their rightful owners, says Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann. As a result, the Surrey RCMP is encouraging bike owners to register their bikes with 529 Garage and secure the critical identifying information needed for police and insurance.
Like many cities across the Lower Mainland, Surrey has experienced an increase in bike theft over the past few years. Between 2014 and 2015 there was a 12% increase in reported bike thefts in Surrey. The peak period for bike thefts is between May and October.
While bike theft continues to be a problem across the region, it can be reduced through crime prevention initiatives and educating bike owners on how to property secure and identify their bicycles, says Cpl. Schumann. With an increased number of bike owners committed to registering and marking their bikes with an identification number, we can work together and send a strong message to bike thieves.
In celebration of Bike to Work Week (May 30-June 5th), the Surrey RCMP will be hosting two free events for the public to learn more about bike theft prevention. Information booths will be set up and bike shop representatives will be on site to help owners register their bikes with Project 529 Garage. The first 200 people that attend will receive a Project 529 Garage tamper resistant bike identification number sticker.
What: Bike theft prevention and registration events
Dates / Locations: May 28th at Cloverdale Recreation Centre (6188 176 Street), and June 2nd at City Hall Plaza (13450 104th Avenue) from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Who: Surrey RCMP, Project 529 Garage, bike shops representatives
The Surrey RCMP would like to remind cyclists that it is also important to safeguard your property with a u-shaped bike lock and to ensure that it is secured indoors when not in use. For more information on bike theft prevention please visit the Protect Yourself section of our website.
For more information on Project 529 Garage and their partnerships with other police agencies please visit their website www.project529.com/garage.
