Registration app leads to significant decrease in bike thefts in Vancouver
52 per cent fewer bikes stolen since Project 529 implemented
Bike thefts are way down in Vancouver, and part of the reason is a registration app, according to a report in the Vancouver Sun. Rob Brunt, a Vancouver police veteran who retired a year ago, continues to volunteer with the police force’s bike-theft team. He spoke to the Sun inside a police building that houses stolen bikes. He says a few years back, that same building would be packed.
Lack of standardized serial numbers
In 2015, he visited the building and was blown away at how many stolen bikes there were. And also, how few were ever recovered. “I was like, ‘Wow, we’re doing great work…but most bikes weren’t getting back to their owners,” he said to the Sun. “There was no system,” he adds. “Maybe two per cent of the bicycles got returned.”
According to Brunt, there are a few factors that contributed to the low rate of bike recoveries. One of the main reasons is the absence of standardized serial numbers. This setup makes it difficult to locate a specific bike.
Registering bikes is more streamlined with Project 529
Brunt came across a solution called Project 529, an anti-theft software. Created by J Allard, a former Microsoft executive known for launching the Xbox, the program caught Brunt’s attention as a promising tool to combat bike theft.
Registering bikes online with Project 529 is a simple and free process. By taking a few photos from different angles, as well as marking down your bike’s serial number, you can securely store your bike’s information. The data is then accessible to more than 400 law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Since Brunt initiated the program, Vancouver has experienced a consistent decline in bike theft. There has been an impressive 52 per cent reduction overall. Prior to implementing Project 529, bike thefts in the city had surged from approximately 1,500 cases annually in 2011 to 4,000 cases by 2015. The Vancouver Police Department had projected this number to rise to 6,000 cases per year if not for the introduction of Project 529.
