BIKE REGISTRY
The St. Thomas Police Service (STPS) is pleased to introduce its first formal bicycle registry program.
The St. Thomas Police Service has engaged the services of 529 Garage (project529.com/stthomspoliceservice) ; a bike registration program that connects riders to each other in the St. Thomas area.
The app works to alert other St. Thomas-area bicyclists any time a bike is stolen or goes missing. Once the user determines his or her bike is missing, he activates an alert notification to 529 Garage, which sends out a broadcast to all users in the area to be on the look out for the missing bicycle.
You can register your bike on the 529 Garage website or smartphone/tablet
The STPS is also coordinating with our Property Room to review bicycles in our inventory and reunite them with owners. You can contact Special Constable Scott Haayema, the Property Officer by dialing (519) 631-1224, extension 4321.
It’s easy to register, you simply download the app, input whatever information you wish as a point of contact for you, and even upload an image of your bike. This service is free and paid for by the St. Thomas Police Service.
Only law enforcement personnel will have access to the full database. If you have to issue an alert, you can choose what type of contact information you will release to the biking community.
Please be sure to look at your serial number closely.
In order to ensure that the right bike goes to its proper owner, the STPS requires that a police report is filed.
In order to release the bike to you, we need to verify that you are the owner. By creating a report, you provide us with a formal record for accountability and transparency purposes.
Anyone that has the app on their smartphone can help with the recovery. Once a user reports their bike is missing, anyone within 15 kilometres of the incident receives a notification with details of the missing report. Other users can send notification if they spot the missing bike.
Never attempt to recover a stolen bike without first contacting police.
There is a tool on the app that lets you forward the bike’s information, sticker registration, and non-personally identifying photos to the email of the person to whom you sold your bike.
