Ah!
Caveat: serial numbers are purged after 3 months in the database. So you have to search in the sweet spot of between when the police recover your bike and enter your bike's serial number into the database (assuming they do, and assuming they pick the correct number to record, and assuming they copy it down correctly) and up to 3 months following that.
Mostly, we have the same problem you do Brian, of police just not caring. Whether it's your $40 beater or a $10,000 carbon fibre Lance Armstrong-autographed machine [are those still worth anything?], you'd probably get more attention if you reported someone stole ice cream from your 5-year old kid. Good PR to catch that kind of scumbag. (Unless it was another kid. Which it probably was...)
I think I'll replace our bike registry service with the Kryptonite one. Less work for us.
Christopher Chan
Executive DirectorEdmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society
10047 80 Ave (entrance in rear lane)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6E 1T4
edmontonbikes.caw: (780) 433-2453 ||
c: (780) 700-5564
On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 9:11 AM, Brian Drayton
<brian@richmondspokes.org> wrote:
Since the Kryptonite / Bike shepherd system is free to register
(with fee for sticker) it is a win /win situation to have a universal
database accessible online and the extra (psychological) repository for bicycle
serial numbers that can be accessed by law enforcement, owners of the bikes and
potential buyers.
I find it different than the old school register with the police
and fire department because now that our law and public protector institutions
treat us like barcodes, we don’t get personal service.
I’ve unfortunately had three bikes stolen in the last 6 months and
have 2-5 bikes reported stolen to my shop each week in the East San Francisco
Bay Area. Another one swiped in Sacramento while at a convention
locked with a kryptonite.
The only real solution to bike theft is bike facilities that
reduce the time and access that thieves have to get to your bike.
Police treat bike theft like a misdemeanor, and send you to an online
form ... Even if you know your beat cop, they are told to de prioritize
going after bike and car thieves.
Two years ago m partner was assaulted in our house during a
robbery where a hand build Merx was stolen. Not only did they not care
or investigate, when I located the bike via tips from bike shop owners and
Craig’s list. The retrieved the bike from the offender without asking
questions to placate me forgetting it was a felony robbery and assault case.
They hear bike and think it's child’s play...
I can say you get nothing from them without the serial # in hand
or in a registry to prove you bought the bike or possessed it at some
point.
Any tool to get your customers to document the serial number will
help the customer eventually wither or not kryptonite and the police give a
damn about bikes as a primary source of mobility.
Use the database because it works... I can’t access
the police database from my shop but bike shepherd allows me to scan the bike
and track it. If I say to people I wont buy a bike unless it is
registered maybe we can inspire a trend to really make it work.
Craig’s list should have a bike serial number registry for anyone
selling bikes or parts. On line EBay as well ...for the
buyer and the seller’s protection .
Copy down your Serial
number:
On every recipt from the Spokeshop the header says
“COPY DOWN UR BIKE
SERIAL # IN CASE IT GETS STOLEN”
I say register
your bike and put in a lojack gps system
.
GPS TRACKER But what do you do when you locate your bike... You show your registry to the police. and hopefully your bike is worth more than 1k so you can press felony charges.
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