Southwest Illinois police department creates database to help recover stolen bicycles

The Caseyville Police Department is trying to get ahead of a surging trend of bicycle thefts in the village.

A bicycle database was designed to deter thefts of bicycles and help victims of theft recover their bikes, said Caseyville Detective Det. Danny Allison.

Residents are asked to submit the information that officers will enter in the database. Here’s how it works:

• Take two or three pictures of your bicycle.

• Email the photographs and include your name, date of birth, address and phone number to the Caseyville Police Department secure email of Tips@caseyville.org.

• If you do not wish to email this information, you can take it to the Caseyville Police Station and give the information in person.

• Once the information is obtained, you will receive a supplemental report number.

• The police department asks that this supplemental report number be engraved in a secret location on the bicycle. Bike thieves have a tendency to steal a bicycle and repaint the bicycle in order to disguise the appearance. If you don’t have an engraving tool, the police will etch the report number for you at the police department.

There are currently eight different bicycles stored in the Caseyville Bicycle Data. Some are bikes that have been recovered by police and others are from owners that have voluntarily brought their bicycles in to be registered, Allison said.

There have been two stolen bicycles that have been reported since the beginning of the program.

The bicycles are physically stored at the Caseyville Police Station until the owner is located, Allison said.

This story was originally published October 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM.