Cyclists in Chatham-Kent can now be reunited with their stolen bicycles faster using a new registry on the police service's website.
Chatham-Kent Police Service Chief Gary Conn says the concept for the online bicycle registry was initially developed by one of the police service's co-op students, who was working on a project focused on battling theft in the municipality.
He says the registry was created in conjunction with the police service's Citizens Online Police Reporting System (CORS), which has been up and running for just over year now.
"We know that we have an enormous amount of bikes that are stolen on an annual basis and we recover numerous bicycles on an annual basis. To assist us in getting these bikes back to their rightful owners, we decided to create this bike registry," says Conn.
Conn says not only will the new registry expedite the process of returning bikes to their owners, it will also help police catch the culprit of the crime easier.
"If we locate the subject involved in let's say the theft of the bicycle, it will assist us in proceeding with charges-- for example, theft or possession of stolen property," says Conn.
Residents can access the bicycle registry on the police service's website. To register, residents must have a valid email address, as well as the serial number, make, model, style, and colour of their bicycle. Users will also have the option to add a photo of their bicycle to the registry and fill out any distinguishing features that would help identify it.
Cyclists who have had their bicycle stolen will still need to report the theft to police, regardless of whether a registry form has been filled out.
Conn says information about the new bicycle registry is outlined in a new brochure that he plans to distribute to local bike retailers, as well as students who attend the Chatham-Kent Children's Safety Village's bike courses.
He says the brochures will also include bicycle theft deterrent tips and cyclist safety tips.