BORO PARK SHOMRIM SAY: REGISTER YOUR BICYCLES NOW!!!

The Brooklyn South Safety Patrol – the Boro Park Shomrim – are reminding  all local residents who own bicycles to register them with the patrol, so that they can be identified and returned to their owners in the event they are stolen and later recovered.
The patrol has scheduled a BICYCLE REGISTRATION And SAFETY DAY EVENT on Sunday,Jun 9,2013 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm. at the public school yard of ps 192 on 47^rd St. between 18^th and 19^th Av’s.
Unlike automobiles, which are registered with the state and carry license plates (for added security,  the state also records the manufacturer’s vehicle identification number), bikes are not registered – so if a thief grabs your bike,  pedals off with it and is later caught, it’s your word against his as to who owns the bike.
That’s exactly what happened in one case recently, patrol leaders say – a boy whose bike was stolen from him saw the thief pedaling it the next day at a local park – but he had no proof that the bike was really his and the bike–napper was allowed to go free.
But another boy in pretty much the same circumstances was more fortunate –he had registered his bike with the Shomrim at last year’s BICYCLE REGISTRATION DAY, and a number was put on the bike and the boy was given a card certifying his ownership. When his bike was stolen and the thief was caught, he produced his registration card and was able to get his cycle back.

Sometimes, bike thieves don’t just steal cycles for their own joyriding pleasure – they steal lots of them, as a business, and if they happen to be arrested, police may seize lots of bikes – but without proof that a particular one is yours, you probably won’t get it back.
SO BE SAFE – REGISTER YOUR BIKE NOW.