Province of Antwerp launches unique website for lost bicycles
More than 2500 recovered bicycles, complete with descriptions and photographs, can be found at www.gevondenfietsen.be. The website provides an easy way for people who have lost their bicycles to check whether they have been found. “Every year, 5% of all families are the victims of bicycle theft. On top of that, the police often recover bicycles whose owners cannot be traced. Since we want to be sure that these bicycles are reunited with their rightful owners, we have designed the website for lost bicycles in such a way that it can be used throughout the province,” said Bart De Nijn, provincial deputy for security. “This unique initiative means we can improve the service we provide to the local community and at the same time it provides the police divisions with a tool for dealing with the bicycles they recover.” In addition to all the police divisions in the Province of Antwerp, the province of Limburg has also decided to participate in the project.
A total of 37,994 bicycle thefts were reported to the police in Flanders in 2009. However, since many victims do not report the theft of their bicycle to the police, the actual number is between 250% and 400% higher. Every year, approximately 5% of all families are victims of this crime. Although the police recover many bicycles, in around two-thirds of cases they are unable to identify the owner.
Website for lost bicycles proves the most viable large-scale solution
The idea for the website originally came from Brasschaat. In 2004, the Brasschaat police division launched a small-scale website containing descriptions of bicycles that they had recovered. Other police divisions joined the initiative, but over time it became clear that the website needed to be expanded. As bicycles that are stolen in one municipality may be recovered in another, the provincial government decided to support this worthwhile initiative. “We invested a total of € 100,000 in a new, large-scale website that was developed by Amplexor,” Bart De Nijn explained. “So far, more than 100 people, working for municipalities and police divisions, have received training in how to produce descriptions of recovered bicycles and place them on the website. Although the site was originally developed by the Province of Antwerp, we have made our knowhow and technology available to the whole of Flanders. The Province of Limburg was very enthusiastic and decided straight away that it wanted to join us. The website is also being used by a number of cities, including Bruges.”
User-friendly website already lists 2531 recovered bicycles
At the moment, the new website lists 2531 bicycles that were recently recovered. Searching the site is very easy. The search function allows details such as the make, colour and model of the bicycle to be entered, after which a list of all the bicycles meeting the search criteria is displayed. Each description is accompanied by a photograph. Everyone who recognises their bicycle can indicate this on the website, after which they will automatically be contacted by the relevant police division or municipality. Those who cannot find their bicycles on the website can register to receive information by e-mail as soon as a bicycle is recovered that fits their description. Recovered bicycles remain on the website for six months, after which they become the property of the municipality.
Prevention is still the main message
“The main message is still that you should always ensure your bicycle is tied to something when you lock it, and have your bicycle etched,” added Inga Verhaert, the provincial deputy responsible for bicycle policy. “If a bicycle is found which bears a label or has a number etched on it, it is returned to the rightful owner very quickly. That is why the website at www.gevondenfietsen.be also contains a crime prevention section where you can find out when the police will be coming to your neighbourhood to label and etch bicycles. So far, 1419 dates are listed on our site.” And just in case your bicycle is stolen, you can report the theft online by going to the website and clicking on a link.