Every year, thousands bikes are reported stolen across America. Although police recover most stolen bikes, there is no way to identify the owner, so the bike ends up in auction or the scrap heap. To combat this loss, the City of Falls Church police department has teamed up with the Project 529 (the National Bike Registry) to provide a way for the residents of the City Falls Church to protect their bicycle investment.

Project 529: National Bike Registry

The national bike registry, now known as Project 529, is directly affiliated with the National Crime Prevention Council (of "McGruff the Crime Dog" fame). The organization works with agencies and communities across the country to register bicycle information should it be stolen. As outdoors enthusiasts, family bicyclists, and casual riders find themselves investing more money into high quality bikes the ability to recover them is seen as long overdue.

How It Works

With Project 529, a citizen can have all their bicycle information stored in a secure national database, accessible only to law enforcement or registered owners. The bike owner is given a tamper resistant sticker to place in an inconspicuous spot on the bike. If your bike is ever stolen, police who recover it can call a 1-800 number, and immediately find the information necessary to return the bike to the rightful owner. This program works even if a department that is not a member of the program recovers the bike.

Enrollment

The City of Falls Church police department is one of the first agencies in the Northern Virginia area to implement this program for its residents so that no matter where your bike is stolen or where it is recovered, it can be returned to you. For more information, contact the Falls Church police department at 703-241-5056, via email, or visit the Project 529.