| Bike theft is a national problem that affects thousands | | | | people to run the registration numbers to determine to |
| of people annually. Bike thieves have figured out how | | | | whom the bike actually belongs. |
| to break some of the most advanced locks and have | | | | The National Bike Registry is dedicated to identifying |
| no qualms about selling the bike to a person in the | | | | and returning stolen bikes and scooters to their rightful |
| same neighborhood from which it was stolen. | | | | owners. Every year, more than 48% of all stolen bikes |
| Unfortunately, selling stolen bikes has become easier | | | | are recovered by police at some point. Unfortunately, |
| with the popularity of sites like eBay and Craigslist. | | | | only 5% are returned to their owners. A lot of this is |
| These sites do not provide any way of checking to | | | | due to bikes not having a way of checking to whom |
| make sure that a bike is not stolen property prior to | | | | they belong. A stolen car has license plates and a |
| being sold. | | | | Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Bikes do not. So, |
| Fortunately, the National Bike Registry, or NBR, exists. | | | | the majority of recovered stolen bikes end up at a |
| This group has been making a concerted effort at | | | | police auction while their owners mourn the loss. |
| preventing bike theft via registration since 1984. The | | | | The NBR has created a computer database which is |
| group provides an easy to use system which allows a | | | | dedicated to bicycle registrations. It is free for all law |
| bike owner to register his or her bike. In exchange, the | | | | enforcement officials to search. What's better is that |
| owner gets a label for his or her bike. This label is | | | | the program actually works. Every time, so they say, |
| designed to deter theft and allow police everywhere | | | | the police recover a registered stolen bike, the bike |
| to identify the bike simply by running its numbers. | | | | has been traced to its owner and returned. |
| While a label might not sound like an efficient way of | | | | Since 1984, the NBR has worked to establish a |
| preventing theft, it does help. Bike thieves are less likely | | | | network of coast-to-coast police departments who |
| to steal bikes that are registered as they can be | | | | are trained to look for the NBR label on bikes. |
| recognized as being registered. It is only too easy for | | | | |