Police are hoping technology will play a role in finding stolen bikes in Ottawa.
This spring, police helped launch a new version of the “529 Garage” app. Police say more than 2,500 people have registered their bike so far.
If you register your bike with the app and it is stolen you can alert the app. Within five minutes a message is broadcasted to registered users in the same area. If the bike is recovered, an identifying sicker associated with the app, helps return the bike to the owner.
Social media is also proving to be helping recovering stolen bikes.
Alex deVries run a Facebook Page called “Stolen Bikes Ottawa.” He says thegroup aims to prevent bike theft and reunite bike owners with their stolen bikes in Ottawa. “I think we probably have about 30 bikes that are reported a month as stolen. About 10 percent get recovered through the group.”
deVries says it isn’t just about reporting a bike- it helps report, notify, share and spread the word to help find bikes.
The group has close to 2-thousand members.
