Dunedin bike thieves will need to find a new hobby after the launch of 529 Garage, a free bike registration scheme backed by the Dunedin City Council and Southern District Police with the aim of discouraging bike theft.
529 Garage is a community-powered bike recovery service that began in North America and started operating in New Zealand in 2022. The service works by encouraging bike owners to register their bikes on the 529 Garage app.
Users can enter their bike’s serial number, details of identifying features and photos of the bike.
This record helps the police prove a bike is stolen and enables them to return any stolen bikes they recover.
If a bike registered with 529 Garage goes missing, the owner can activate an alert notification to 529 Garage, which sends out a broadcast to all app users in the area to be on the lookout for the missing bike.
Already, two bikes stolen from Dunedin have been successfully recovered and returned to their owners.
Cr Steve Walker said the DCC was excited to be joining Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington in launching 529 Garage.
"We have a strong cycling community in Dunedin and 529 Garage will bring an extra sense of security," Mr Walker said.
"The partnership with the police is what really makes 529 Garage effective, as it ensures that bike theft is taken seriously with recovery processes in place so you can feel like you’ve done all you can to recover your missing bike."
When people register with 529 Garage they can opt to get a "shield", a tamper-resistant sticker with a unique registration code, to place on the frame of their bike.
The sticker provides a visual deterrent to theft by letting any would-be thieves know that the bike is registered with 529 Garage.
People can find local stockists of these shields using the store finder on the 529 Garage website.
Dunedin police Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said registering with 529 Garage would help deter bike thieves and help to return stolen bikes to their owners.
"Prevention is key. Use a quality D-lock or thick chain lock to secure your bike, always lock through your frame and a wheel to a solid object and never rely on a flexible chain lock or cable lock as your primary lock."
Registering your bike on 529 Garage is free and only takes a few minutes.
You can register your bike for 529 Garage Dunedin at www.project529.com/garage/dunedincitycouncil and download the app using your phone at www.project529.com/garage/apps
For more advice about bike security, visit www.dunedin.govt.nz/bike-security
