I notice that the Met are recommending cyclists in London to register their bikes with the police, but what about cyclists outside of London? I’ve been searching the internet on our local police website (nothing about cycle security on there) and on other online services that claim to work with the police, but how do I verify that these websites are genuine? So, I thought I’d ask on here whether any of you have registered your bikes and whether you can recommend any particular website, please?

Police in Newcastle are doing a registration day this weekend and reading the blurb they just seem to stick your frame number and details into http://www.immobilise.com

Googling suggests a few forces do similar.

Thanks Graham. Our local force doesn’t appear to do that, but perhaps I’ll go and ask them.

Great joined up thinking, will you have to register your bike with every force, separately… As you can bet they’ll be non-compatible databases.

Will they actually do anything if it’s stolen, then? :-/

Rachel

Our local force doesn’t appear to do that, but perhaps I’ll go and ask them.

You can just do it yourself on the website for free.

As you can bet they’ll be non-compatible databases.

Claims to be joined up via the National Mobile Property Register database.

Will they actually do anything if it’s stolen, then? :-/

I think at best it slightly increases the chances you’ll get it back if the police happen to stumble across a stockpile of stolen bikes whilst doing something “more important”.

Here’s the press release details from my local plod:

People are invited to come along to the mobile police office in the car park and officers will register items for them on immobilise – a property registering database. You don’t need to bring the items with you, just bring the details of them and an officer will open your account which you will be able to add to at any time.

It only takes a couple of minutes to use the site to record the make, model and serial numbers of property from mobiles, iPods, TVs and laptops to bicycles, jewellery, power tools and portable sat navs. The secure site can only be accessed by the registered user.

Police check any items they recover against the database; if it’s been registered they can easily identify the owner and return the property to them – even if it hasn’t been reported stolen.

— http://www.northumbria.police.uk/news_and_events/media_centre/news_releases/details.asp?id=81352

So all they are doing is helping you register stuff on that website.