529 Garage instrumental after citizens recover stolen bicycle

529 Garage instrumental after citizens recover stolen bicycle

On November 1, members of our community acted quickly and managed to recover a stolen bicycle after it had been reported stolen on October 13 by using the 529 Garage App.

A keen eyed local cyclist observed the bicycle in question in the area of Charles Street and after using the 529 Garage search parameters saw that the bicycle was listed as stolen and in possession of someone other than the original owner.

The cyclist immediately contacted the owner of Frontenac Cycle, a local bike shop located on Barrie St. in downtown Kingston. When the original owner registered their bicycle on 529 Garage, they noted Frontenac Cycle as the point of sale. This detail was key, in that the owner of the local bike shop was able to search his customer data base, contact the bicycle owner and the two began their efforts in retrieving the bicycle.  A Few short hours later and with the assistance of the owner of Frontenac Cycle, the bicycle owner was successful in recovering his bicycle proving that the 529 Garage application works.

Frontenac Cycle along with several of our local Bike Shops were already utilizing the services of 529 Garage and encouraging their customers to register their bikes prior to walking out of the store. Since the launch of the app in early October, Kingston Police, The City of Kingston and the cycling community are urging others to download the app, register your bike and help reduce bike theft.

Project 529 Garage was founded in December 2013 in Portland, Oregon and soon after launched in Vancouver to combat rising bike theft. The app has since been used in jurisdictions across Canada and the United States.

Recent statistics from the Vancouver Police Department show a 43 per cent decline in bike thefts in 2021 compared to 2015, despite a reported 300 per cent increase in cycling since the start of the pandemic.

So far in Kingston, since the launch of the app, 63 bicycles have been registered with 3 bicycles being reported as stolen. It’s never too late to register your bike. For more information visit the KingstonPolice.ca and register your bike at Project529.com/KingstonPoliceService or download the 529 Garage app.