Before the launch of Pedal Protect in March, each policing division in Scotland received a free BikeRegister starter kit from Selectamark.
Scottish police have begun ordering various quantities of these kits to distribute free. The kit contains two tamper-resistant QR barcode labels, which can be scanned with a smart phone to identify a bike on the BikeRegister website, and see whether it is stolen. Each kit marks one bike and serves as a visible deterrent, as well as providing police with an investigative tool if a cycle is stolen and recovered. The aim; to reduce a rise in bike thefts in Scotland.
Supt Matt Paden, Police Scotland’s Acquisitive Crime Lead, said: “On a number of previous occasions, we have successfully worked with Selectamark to reduce various crime trends in Scotland. We are confident this latest partnership will also be equally beneficial, not only to our investigative approaches, but to deterring and preventing bike crimes taking place in the first instance. Registering your bike on the BikeRegister is of vital importance to ensuring that, in the event, your cycle is taken, that we have all opportunities at our disposal to get it back to you. I’d encourage all members of the cycling community to visit www.bikeregister.com for more information on the BikeRegister or to request your own personal membership kit.”
Selectamark Security Systems PLC, which owns BikeRegister, have provided police with their SelectaDNA tagging spray kits, as used in Edinburgh to address crimes on motorcycles. SelectaDNA property marking kits, deployed as part of Operation Kapel in the Gorbals area of Glasgow, reduced housebreaking by 100pc.
James Brown, Managing Director of Selectamark, said: “Police Scotland continues to work tirelessly to reduce bike crime and have used BikeRegister bike marking kits for many operations across the country to tackle cycle theft. Not only does BikeRegister help reduce instances of cycle theft, but it also enables cyclists to be reunited with their bikes after they have been stolen.
“Police Scotland are one of the top forces for recovering stolen bikes which they have achieved through their own operational methods including working closely with second-hand cycle shops to make sure they are checking BikeRegister before they buy and sell cycles to ensure they are not registered as stolen.
