Burbank police see success in bike registration event

To help return lost or stolen bikes to their rightful owners, the Burbank Police hosted a first-ever event in which they helped register the bicycles of 301 people on Saturday.

As bikers rode down the Chandler Bikeway near Keystone Street, police officers stopped them to register their bicycle’s make, model and serial number.

Officials hope that by logging residents’ bikes into a database, they can help return them to the right person should they ever be lost or stolen.

Burbank resident Linda Turner took her son to register his bike on Saturday after the bike was stolen while it was parked outside of Rocket Fizz, a soda and candy shop on Magnolia Avenue about a year ago.

She said she learned about the event after seeing a flier her son brought home from his school, Edison Elementary. Police sent fliers home with students throughout the Burbank Unified School District to reach out to young bike riders.

Last year, officials said about 140 bicycles were reported stolen, slightly down from 151 the year prior.

“I think this is a great idea,” Turner said of the registration event, which was slated for this month because it’s right after the gift-giving season.

“[During] Christmas, everybody gets bikes,” Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn said.

Burbank resident Dwight Brumbaugh said he took his family to register their bikes because he and his two daughters received new bikes on Christmas.

Ryburn said the police will continue to host events every six months on the Chandler Bikeway or elsewhere in Burbank, as well as register residents’ bicycles at the police station.

Police recommend that residents always lock-up their bikes even when they are at home, particularly on porches.

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Follow Kelly Corrigan on Twitter: @kellymcorrigan.

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