Nanaimo RCMP and a local bike shop are on a mission to counter bicycle thefts in Nanaimo by getting owners to register their bikes for free with 529 Garage.
To get cyclists on board, Nanaimo RCMP and Arrowsmith Bikes are hosting a free bike registration clinic for the 529 Garage app.
The clinic happens at Arrowsmith Bikes, 4-4906 Wellington Rd., Wednesday (July 13), 6-8 p.m.
The event is part of Project 529, an ongoing program by the RCMP and community partners to reduce bike thefts in Nanaimo, where about 250-300 bikes are stolen annually and less than five per cent of the bikes recovered by police are ever returned to their owners.
In coming months, the RCMP will team up with retail bike shops and cycling clubs to get at least 1,000 bikes registered with 529 Garage by the end of 2017.
529 Garage was introduced on the Island in late June by the Nanaimo RCMP and J. Allard, creator of the mobile app-based registration system.
“We are committed to reducing the incidents of bike theft in our community,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. “One of our crime prevention strategies is to engage the community by having them register their own bikes, thus, helping us to address the issue of bike theft.”
For information on upcoming free registration clinics, follow Nanaimo RCMP on twitter @NanaimoRCMP, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NanaimoRCMP or call the Nanaimo RCMP Community Policing Section at 250-755-3163.
For more information on the 529 Garage, please visit www.529garage.ca.