If you’ve had a bike stolen, before you rush off to buy another — you might want to try Bike Index.

Partnered with Edmonton Police Service, the program has registered 146,000 bikes since 2019. EPS estimates that the Bike Index has helped recover $1 million worth of property in five years.

“Before Bike Index, we didn’t have a way of contacting you to be able to get you your bike back,”  Const. Kenny McKinnon told CBC’s Radio Active.

He recalls the old “bike graveyard” where EPS kept recovered bikes in hopes people would come collect them. Three years after the index was brought in, the space was virtually empty, McKinnon said.

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Similar to a car registration, the Bike Index is a free tool to log your bike’s make, model, and serial number. Once registered, you can report a bike as stolen. If the police find it, they have your contact information.

Celebrating the program’s five-year anniversary, Sgt. Dana Gehring said police are increasingly effective at finding and returning stolen bikes.

“It’s actually getting quite common that we recover bikes within a 24-hour period.”

But even if your bike was lost a decade ago, it might be worth registering. EPS has recovered bikes stolen 13 years ago — still in mint condition. All you need is something to prove you own it, whether that be a bill of sale, old photo, record from bike shop, or serial number.

McKinnon and Gehring also believe the program can serve as a deterrent to theft.

“Since Bike Index has been implemented, the numbers are trending down and recoveries have gone way up,” Gehring said.

“We’ve noticed that bikes that are displaying the actual Bike Index sticker, although it’s just a sticker, it is that extra deterrence for some people.”

While the program does four events per year, their partnership with local bike shops is what has really built up the registry, Gehring said.

One of the shops embracing the index is Bike Edmonton, which sells second-hand bikes and helps people repair bikes themselves.

Sgt. Dana Gehring and Const. Kenny McKinnon at the announcement of a new partnership between Edmonton police and Bike Index in 2019. (Paige Parsons/CBC)

“It’s very common for people to have a bike that they love and use every day but … not actually record the essential information about it,” downtown shop manager Alex Hindle said.

The program can not only help people recover their stolen bikes — but also help prevent organizations like Bike Edmonton from accidentally buying and selling stolen bikes, he said.

“A lot of people, if they see a bike that seems suspicious in some way, they’ll look it up.”

All the bikes sold at Bike Edmonton are pre-registered on the index, and then the registration is transferred to the new owner.

Hindle’s tips for preventing bike theft in the first place include investing in a good lock, choosing high visibility areas to lock up, and making sure you lock any easily removable elements — like quick-release wheels or seats.

And if your bike is stolen, Hindle recommends reporting it.

“It might feel like a little bit wishful thinking to file a report. I know lots of people have this sense that they never really get the bikes back, but that really isn’t true.”

“I definitely think it’s a very valuable tool and it is worth using.”