Police have joined forces with a not-for profit organization to help Edmontonians find their bikes if they go missing.
Bike Index is an online worldwide bicycle registry that allows bicycle owners to register their wheels for free. The account will help the owner prove ownership of the bike if it ever goes missing.
Going forward, Edmontonians will be able to pick up a Bike Index sticker from police or participating shops.
The sticker must be placed on the bar that extends from the bike seat down. The QR code on the sticker can be linked to a Bike Index account, which will allow a police officer to contact the owner if the bike is found.
"Bike Index is thrilled to form a partnership with Edmonton. By forming this official partnership between Bike Index and EPS, we can provide tools - such as allowing officers to communicate with bike owners before they've even marked their bike as stolen - that we've developed specifically for police accounts," Lily Williams, Communications Director of Bike Index said in a written statement. "We've built these tools to increase bike recovery rate, and we're excited to provide these services to a department that has an interest in supporting their cycling community."
Edmonton police say there have been 237 bicycles reported stolen between Jan. 1 and June 24 of 2019. In 2018, 1,530 bikes were reported stolen and only 50 were recovered.
You can register for a Bike Index account online. You will need its serial number, which can be found on the frame.
