Deter Thieves by Registering Your Bicycle with Police

Register your bicycle with the Somerville Police Department and receive a sticker that in the best case might deter thieves from stealing it and in the worst provides a better chance of getting it back. 

Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee chair Alex Epstein told the committee at their August meeting how he discovered the "little known" registry, which is not publicized on the city or Police Department's websites. 

Somerville residents may go to the or e-mail Officer Richard Gilberti at rgilberti@police.somerville.ma.us to register. Residents must provide their name, address, phone number, birthdate, the bicycle's make and model, serial number and distinctive features. 

They may also submit a photo of their bicycle and its attachments, Epstein said. 

Gilberti works in the department's traffic office, at 220 Washington St., Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Police ask that cyclists place the sticker on a visible place on their bicycle's frame, according to Epstein. When would-be thieves see the sticker, they will usually avoid stealing that bicycle, because once the bike is registered, it's easy for police to identify. 

Committee member Ron Newman said he would prefer the department to have an online form on the city's website. 

In fact, Epstein said he suggested that idea to Steve Craig, the director of the city's constituent services. 

"Just getting a lot of people registering their bikes will convince the Police Department to upgrade their system," he said.