Bike theft: technology to protect cyclists, a few years late

Hoping to tackle the phenomenon of bicycle theft in the metropolis, Montreal this week turned to the Garage 529 application in several Canadian cities.

Last year, the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) registered 1,732 bicycle theft complaints, averaging “stable around 2000” per year, he said in an email. Destiny. “The number of thefts is very high because it is a large unreported crime to the police,” said the police force, which makes “twenty arrests” each year for this type of crime.

“People had to report bicycle theft, but there were those who did not tell themselves it was useless,” said Marianne Gigure, an active transportation consultant on the executive committee. Some thieves do not dare to steal bicycles, Especially in the case of an epidemic, It has grown The attraction of these modes of transport in Montreal.

Techno solution

However, on Wednesday, SPVM announced the completion of a partnership with Garage 529, which was developed in Seattle in 2013 as a web and mobile application that facilitates bicycle registration and theft with the aim of protecting them from “tracking”. Montreal cyclists can do this Register their bike online In a few minutes. They will soon be able to do this in the French version of the company’s mobile app.

The SPVM then recommends that cyclists obtain a tamper proof sticker with a unique identification number from various neighboring police stations, which is intended to act as a deterrent to thieves.

“Through Mass Effect, people have an app on their phones, so as soon as a bike is reported stolen, people are going to know. It changes everything with the simplicity of recording. [son vélo] Than in its use ”, mr.^{To me} Gigure.

In 2015, Vancouver joined Garage 529 platform. Since then the metropolis has dropped nearly 40% of the number of bicycle thefts in its territory.

“We also aim to reduce the number of bicycle thefts from 30% to 40% in five years,” said an elected spokesman for Project Montreal. But it works according to membership, so we hope more cyclists will join. “

As of Friday evening, nearly 1,100 cyclists had registered their mount for free Web Platform for Garage 529.

“The point is, if more bicycles are registered there, the application will be more useful,” said Jean-Franకోois Realt, president and CEO of Velo Quebec.

Dominic Adett, one of the instigators of Montreal bike stole Facebook page, Also welcomed the arrival of this web platform in Montreal.

“The thief finds it more difficult to sell a bike than in the old system,” said Dominic Audett, who sees cyclists’ testimony every day after the theft. “The charges are lighter than before,” he said.

Delayed turn

Dominic Audette Sorry, however, it took many years to follow through on the Montreal Vancouver by choosing this platform.

“It doesn’t make sense that it hasn’t moved before,” he said. In recent years, several cities in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario have made this technological change.

“We must conform to the realities of Quebec,” explains M.^{To me} Gigure. In particular, the City must verify that this application is “compliant.” [sa] Control ”and SPVM persuade its v chit, she adds.

“For them, there is still a big change to be made in practice,” said an elected spokesman for Project Montreal, referring to police forces.

Montreal became the first city in Quebec to choose the Garage 529 application to combat bicycle theft in its territory.