Chicago Police Dept. Bike Registry????
Hi there, I saw mention of this on a thread, but would like elaboration...
My neighbor and I were talking about all the bike thefts this summer, and he asked me if it was possible to register one's bike BEFORE it gets stolen.
I saw that the Chicago Police Dept. has a registry. Has anyone registered? How does it work? Most importantly, is there a benefit to it - or not?
Thanks!
Views: 127
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jason Smajda on -
You have to go to your local station to get a form to register your bikes. I have done this myself. Still doesn't gurantee anything if your bike gets stolen. CPD won't look for it, they will only contact the owner if the bike was found and turned in to the station.
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Permalink Reply by Amy on -
I guess the only advantage to registering is that the paperwork is already on file???
I am also wondering how often is a bike turned into the CPD and the registry checked. Maybe in a small town, but here in Chicago?
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Permalink Reply by h' 1.0 on -
True, there actually is an ordinance making registration mandatory.
Looking in the city bike program page . . . here's the goods:
9-120-030- Registration Record - Permalink
The registration record shall be in size and style as prescribed by the commissioner of police and shall contain the date of registration, the make, serial number, model and description of the bicycle registered, the name and residence address of the owner, the signature of the owner, the owner's age, and if such owner is under 21 years of age, the name and address of his or her parent or guardian, the name and address of the person from whom purchased, the date of purchase, and such additional information as the commissioner of police may require.
Prior code § 29.1-3; Amend Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634
9-120-020- Registration - Permalink
It is hereby made the duty of the owner of every bicycle, before operating or permitting the operation of the same upon any public way within the city, to register said vehicle with the commissioner of police on a form provided for such purpose. Registration may be accomplished by filing the registration record or form, duly filled out, in the office of the commander of the police district in which the bicycle owner resides, or by mailing said form, duly filled out, postage prepaid, to the commissioner of police.
Prior Registration code § 29.1-2; Amend Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634
9-120-080- Bicycle dealers - Permalink
Every person engaged in the business of buying or selling new or second hand bicycles shall make a report to the commissioner of police of every bicycle purchased or sold by such dealer, giving the name and address of the person from whom purchased or to whom sold, a description of such bicycle by name or make, the frame number thereof, and the registration number, if any, found thereon.
Prior code § 29.1-8; Amend Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634
M.A.R.K. said:Within city limits aren't you legally required to register your bike? Maybe they were just considering it? I remember a thread on here where it was discussed, thought someone posted that you are required to register, but don;t quote me.
I have never heard any evidence that the city's bicycle registration database (if there is one) is anything that can be easily accessed, and have heard of registered bikes turning up at police auction with no apparent effort to contact the owner. If anyone here is close with a member of Chicago's Finest I;d be interested to hear the inside scoop on registration.
BTW the form can be downloaded (don't see it on the new site) and mailed.
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Permalink Reply by Dr. Doom on -
U of C offers registration services that are probably worth looking into for anyone affiliated with the university (says the guy who hasn't bothered to do so). They give you a wacky sticker to put on your bike and there's anecdotal reason to think that having such a sticker makes the bike a bit less likely to be stolen just because it's so identifiable. Not sure if other colleges in town do the same but worth checking out for people with school affiliations.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C on -
You can register online here. If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police, they will check it against the registry. If it's registered, they'll contact the owner. If it's not, it goes to the warehouse for the quarterly auctions. Registration is painless. Everyone should take the 2 minutes it takes.
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Permalink Reply by Amy on
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Oh, what I would do for a wacky sticker that prevents my bike from being stolen...sigh, sigh.
My commuter bike had a university sticker on it. It was stolen. Interestingly, I called the university because I could not locate the serial number and thought it might be on file there. Turns out, they only keep those registrations for a few years and then "poof!" So those of you who are counting on others to keep track of your bike, don't.
Thanks for the ordinance info too. Very interesting, especially the part about bicycle dealers reporting to the commissioner of police - who knew?! Ha ha.
Seriously, I would like to know what Chicago does with those registration forms. Anyone? And, if they are not being used in any productive way, could we in the bicycle community make use of them to benefit our community?
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Permalink Reply by Amy on
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Thanks, didn't see Kevin's response when I last posted - I think we were posting at the same time.
I guess the whole "system" rides on the premise, "If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police." Do we have any evidence that that happens here in Chicago and that the police follow through as you suggest?
If the system works (in practice and not just "in theory"), there would be good reason to register. Otherwise, I can see why people wouldn't bother.
Kevin Conway said:You can register online here. If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police, they will check it against the registry. If it's registered, they'll contact the owner. If it's not, it goes to the warehouse for the quarterly auctions. Registration is painless. Everyone should take the 2 minutes it takes.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C on
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Your expectation is that it won't work.
It takes two minutes to register online, and it might work.
The City/CPD goes to the trouble to maintain the site.
If you aren't registered it absolutely won't work.
What possible reason do you have to not register?
Amy Abramson said:Thanks, didn't see Kevin's response when I last posted - I think we were posting at the same time.
I guess the whole "system" rides on the premise, "If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police." Do we have any evidence that that happens here in Chicago and that the police follow through as you suggest?
If the system works (in practice and not just "in theory"), there would be good reason to register. Otherwise, I can see why people wouldn't bother.
Kevin Conway said:You can register online here. If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police, they will check it against the registry. If it's registered, they'll contact the owner. If it's not, it goes to the warehouse for the quarterly auctions. Registration is painless. Everyone should take the 2 minutes it takes.
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Permalink Reply by h' 1.0 on
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I'm with Amy. I'd like to see some "insider" info that thereactually is some sort of functional system in place. Anyone here know anyone who works for CPD?
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Permalink Reply by spacemodular on -
I tried to use it - there log in didn't work. Not exactly 2 minutes either...
Amy Abramson said:Thanks, didn't see Kevin's response when I last posted - I think we were posting at the same time.
I guess the whole "system" rides on the premise, "If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police." Do we have any evidence that that happens here in Chicago and that the police follow through as you suggest?
If the system works (in practice and not just "in theory"), there would be good reason to register. Otherwise, I can see why people wouldn't bother.
Kevin Conway said:You can register online here. If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police, they will check it against the registry. If it's registered, they'll contact the owner. If it's not, it goes to the warehouse for the quarterly auctions. Registration is painless. Everyone should take the 2 minutes it takes.
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Permalink Reply by Joe Studer 8.0 mi on -
I'm at a real loss to understand why someone would not register. Especially someone as well informed and involved as you are, Howard.
Anyone that has read this thread has lost more time than it would take to use the online registration tool. Even if the site was a complete waste of time, you've only lost 2 minutes. But if there is even the slightest chance that it works, then you've potentially gained your bike back. At a minimum, should your bike get stolen and assuming you've registered your bike, the site will have some of the information you will need to fill out an insurance report (e.g., serial number, make and model, etc.).
Please explain to me what the downside is.
H3N3 said:I'm with Amy. I'd like to see some "insider" info that thereactually is some sort of functional system in place. Anyone here know anyone who works for CPD?
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C on
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Saw your post. Went to the link and created a new user name and password. Logged into the online bike registration page. Didn't register my bike, because I already have. Took me two and a half minutes. I stand corrected.
spacemodular said:I tried to use it - there log in didn't work. Not exactly 2 minutes either...
Kevin Conway said:You can register online here. If a stolen or abandoned bike is recovered by the police, they will check it against the registry. If it's registered, they'll contact the owner. If it's not, it goes to the warehouse for the quarterly auctions. Registration is painless. Everyone should take the 2 minutes it takes.
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