How the Edmonton police bike index is reuniting owners with stolen wheels

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The Edmonton Police Service bike index program now in its fifth year has recovered a million dollars worth of lost or stolen wheels.

The program launched here in 2019 as city police partnered with Bike Index, a non-profit online registry, to deter bike theft from the moment a bicycle is purchased.

City police last week said the program has been a “remarkable success” in reuniting lost or stolen bicycles with rightful owners due to Bike Index’s innovative and convenient registration system.

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Bike shops key to success

As of this year, more than 146,000 bikes have been registered in the Edmonton area. Bikes can range in value with many worth thousands of dollars. Through the index program, Edmonton police have recovered roughly a million dollars in bicycles.

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“Part of what has made Bike Index so successful in Edmonton is our partnership with 20 local bicycle shops,” Sgt. Dana Gehring said in a news release. “They are introducing the registry to their customers, educating them on the benefits and providing onsite registration so customers have peace of mind the moment they wheel their new bike out the door.”

How it works

Bike Index is free for bike owners and the police service. Once a bike is registered, owners can simply log on to their online Bike Index account to indicate if their bike has gone missing.

Conversely, when police come across a wayward bike that has been registered, they can search the serial number online to find its rightful owner.

Getting stolen wheels back

Bike Index recently helped officers recover a $10,000 mountain bike, despite the attempt to disguise it with black wrap, said police. The bike still had its serial number and officers were able to return it to its owner weeks after it was reported stolen.

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In another case, a new Edmontonian who moved to Alberta several months ago from Nova Scotia had two of his bikes stolen from work. One was seized in central Edmonton and upon deeper investigations, including city police contacting the bike’s manufacturer, the owner was reunited with his $4,000 bicycle. In that case, the owner had not heard of Bike Index, but both bicycles are now registered, and the owner is hopeful the other bike, valued at $10,000, will also be recovered.

Earlier this year, another cyclist who is a teacher and Ph.D. student who uses her bicycle as transportation to work and school reported that her orange fat bike had been stolen. In less than 24 hours, the bike was recovered thanks to the work of officers and an EMS paramedic, said police.

Bike index registration event

Edmonton police several times over the summer host Bike Index registration events, with the final one to run next Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market. Anyone who has yet to register their bike is welcome to stop by and register on site.

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