Police Scotland launch app to help combat bicycle theft

Police in Scotland are using an app to try and combat bicycle theft.

Officers in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders will be able to utilise the technology to return bicycles to their rightful owners.

The Bike Register app has been used by officers since early December providing a comprehensive list of all bikes registered throughout the country.

The app allows any police officer the opportunity to run the VIN number of any bike they locate to try to establish who the real owner is.

Police Scotland has urged anyone who received a new bike at Christmas to upload their details to the website.

Sergeant Carly Bryce, from Police Scotland’s Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “Our partnership with Bike Register has been really successful over the years.

"Allowing us to help the public mark and register their bikes, but up until recently whenever we came across a potentially lost or stolen cycle, we would have to contact Bike Register directly and get them to check if the bike was on the database.

“Thanks to the development of the app for police mobile devices, we can instantaneously carry out a check ourselves and if the bike is registered and found to be in the possession of someone who is not the owner, we can respond swiftly and appropriately.

“We know that bikes are an expensive commodity and the last thing anyone wants to think about it their valued present, training equipment or mode of transport being lost or stolen, but should such an issue arise, it’s really important that the bike is registered on the database.“You can do so by visiting www.bikeregister.com.”

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