CALGARY -- The Calgary Police Service has a new partner in the effort to get stolen bikes returned to their owners.
CPS has entered into an agreement with Bike Index, a free online service that allows users to register their bicycle online. Users submit their bike's serial number, manufacturer, and other unique details such as modifications and notify the system should their bike go missing.
"Bike thefts in Calgary have always been an issue, however we have seen a growing trend of this crime in our city in the last few years and we wanted to see what we could do to address the issue and better support victims," said Cst. Brennan Vanderwater in a statement released Friday. "We hope that by partnering with Bike Index we will be able to return more recovered bikes back to Calgarians."
CPS said an issue with returning bikes is that the rightful owners often don't know the serial number, a requirement for releasing a recovered bike.
The partnership follows a successful pilot project between CPS and Bike Index that resulted in more than $12,000 worth of bikes being returned to owners in the month of May alone.
CPS receives approximately 2,900 reports of missing or stolen bikes per year, with only 12 per cent returned to owners.
Bike theft numbers in Calgary for 2017-2020 (courtesy: Calgary Police Service)
The new partnership aims to improve that statistic.
Users registered with Bike Index can pick up a Bike Index sticker at CPS District offices or participating bike shops. The stickers have been credited with reducing the likelihood of a bike being stolen, as well as deterring people from unintentionally purchasing a stolen bike.
CPS stressed that stolen bikes should still be reported to police and that Bike Index is an additional tool in the ongoing effort to return bicycles.
