Rotorua Lakes Council has partnered with Rotorua Police in joining 529 Garage, a bike security platform that helps reduce bike thefts, supports the recovery of stolen bikes and promotes a united cycling community.

With 130 bicycles reported stolen in Rotorua over the past 12 months, 529 Garage is an important tool enabling people to register their bikes making it easier for app users and the Police to be notified and recovered if stolen.

To raise awareness of the initiative, Council are hosting three activation events to provide education about the bike security platform and encourage registration.

Rotorua Lakes Council Sustainable Journeys Coordinator, Rachel Doelman, says joining the 529 Garage initiative is a ‘no brainer’ for our district given Rotorua is well-known as a biking mecca in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“We’re excited to be a part of this kaupapa (project) and believe it will have genuine benefits for the community in terms of recovering stolen bikes, while also encouraging cycling which is what the Safe and Sustainable Journeys team is all about – a city where everyone can travel around safely and freely.

“Importantly, this initiative also directly aligns with Council’s Community Safety Strategy which encourages a priority-led approach to a safe community that takes active steps to prevent crime and provide an environment in which residents can fully participate.”

Ms Doelman says for 529 Garage to be successful locally, the more users there are, the better.

“By registering and adding the tamper resistant sticker with a unique serial number to your paihikara (bike), this means there’ll be a whole community that gets notified, and can assist the Police in helping recover your bike.”

The next free registration event will be held on Wednesday 9 November, 2.30 - 4.30pm - Te Ahi Tupua, Hemo underpass.

Bike thefts often occur in the summer months as more people use bikes to commute or decide to get out and take advantage of the mountain bike park on a sunny day.

Bike theft is an opportunistic crime and Police urge bike owners to take measures to prevent the ease of theft and encourage making sure that you have record of the identifiable features of your bike.

Some top tips to prevent bike theft from Police is:

- Have a quality lock that you attach to the frame of your bike.

- Do not secure your bike to a metal cage or post they could easily be removed from.

- Take note of the serial number and take pictures of identifiable features.

- Sign up for 529 Garage and register your bike.

For more information about upcoming activation events for the 529 bike security programme, please click here.

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