A new initiative is taking aim at bike theft in Vancouver, making it harder for thieves to steal bikes and easier for bike owners to get their bikes back if they are stolen.

The Vancouver Police Department, the Vancouver Police Foundation and the City of Vancouver are partnering with Project 529, developers of a US-based registration, reporting and recovery network called the 529 Garage, to launch the Vancouver Bike Registry. Bike owners who register their bikes have the best chance of getting their ride back if it is stolen.

Each year in Vancouver, over 2,000 bicycles are reported stolen. Almost as many bikes are recovered by police, ending up in the VPD Property Office, where our officers painstakingly work to reconnect the bikes with their owners. Unfortunately, police are only able to return roughly 10 per cent of the recovered bikes to their owners, as the bikes’ serial numbers and descriptions weren’t properly recorded.

“Our goal is to make Vancouver the most secure city in Canada to ride a bicycle,” says avid cyclist and VPD Deputy Chief Constable Warren Lemcke. “The 529 Garage registry will allow officers to quickly and efficiently recognize a stolen bicycle and get that bike back to its owner.”

Joining forces with the Vancouver Police Foundation, the Vancouver Police Department is committed to registering 10,000 Vancouver bicycles for free in the first three years of the registry. This will be the first step toward having every bicycle in Canada and the US traceable in one single database.

“In attacking the $500 million bike theft epidemic in North America, we felt it was vital to create more than a bike registration database,” said J Allard, founder of Project 529. “We wanted to create an active network of cyclists that could look out for one another and assist law enforcement with real-time alerts and easy reporting. We are thrilled to partner with Vancouver to help their community be proactive in protecting their property.”

Recently, a 529 Garage registered bicycle was stolen in Vancouver, and was returned to the owner within 36 hours of its theft.

“The 529 Garage is a perfect fit for the City’s Greenest City Action Plan,” says Acting Vancouver City Manager Sadhu Johnston. “Together, we can continue to encourage bicycle ridership, improving quality of life and making Vancouver a city where moving by bike is safe, secure, convenient, and enjoyable.”

For more information about how you can keep your ride secure, please visit www.vpd.ca.

project-529-smABOUT PROJECT 529

Project 529 was founded in 2013 by a team of software professionals in Portland, Oregon who believed that technology can enhance the cycling experience. Their first product, the 529 Garage, is the simplest and most complete bike registration system created to date, having helped secure over $15M worth of bikes since its introduction last year.

For more information about the 529 Garage, please email media@project529.com .

 

 

THE 529 GARAGE IS COMING TO A LOCATION NEAR YOU!

Help kick off Bike to Work Week by taking five minutes to register your bike. Join the VPD, the City of Vancouver and Project 529 at one of the following locations:

Monday, October 26 – media launch
10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
2120 Cambie Street

Tuesday, October 27
7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
2120 Cambie Street

3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Union and Gore

Wednesday, October 28
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Heather and West 10th Avenue

3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Comox and Thurlow

Thursday, October 29
3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Stadium SkyTrain Station at Dunsmuir and Beatty Street

Friday, October 30
3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Science World