LONDON, ONT. -- The London Police Service (LPS) say they’ve launched the first formal bike registry program in the City of London using the ‘529 Garage’ app.

The app allows you to access the bicycle registry through the London Police Service website.

According to LPS, the bike registry program connects riders to each other in the city, allowing them to register their bike and alert local cycling community if their bike is stolen or missing.

An online report must be completed in order to legally claim a stolen bike that has been recovered. 

Police say this is a great initiative to help curb bike theft in the city. 

“The benefit of using the 529 Garage app is that it houses registration information and allows our officers to quickly query the make, model, color, and serial number of found or stolen bicycles. Like any web-based or mobile app, bicycle owners choose how much information they wish to share,” said Sgt. Chris Carne, head of the London Police Service Community Services Unit. 

London Police say there were 765 bikes reported stolen in London last year, and they hope this new application helps increase their ability to return recovered bikes to their rightful owners. 

“All they have to do is register them, and ensure that they report them to police if stolen,” said Sgt. Carne. 

LPS says it’s easy to register for the free service. All you have to do is put your contact information into the London Police registry, and upload an image of your bike if you choose. 

If you have any questions regarding the bike registry, contact bikeregistry@londonpolice.ca

A tutorial on how to use the 529 Garage app can be found here