There are a number of bike register websites and marking kits advertised. Any recommendations on whether they are worthwhile and the best way of marking? Do the police still do this?
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Security marking?
(12 posts)- Started 8 years ago by Stickman
- Latest reply from wingpig
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Posted 8 years ago #
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I believe the police still do this but they're very coy about when they will next be turning up at an event near you to do it.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The data tag set with uv paint/stencil for marking and nanodots for marking components was only £20 or so. Not sure about worthwhile, but at that price may as well.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've often wondered if any fence who goes to the trouble of grinding a serial number off of a bike frame doesn't also give it a quick once-over with a UV lamp.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The police have been on Porty Beach about once a month doing this. The officer in charge is Fiona Blenkiron - you could call 101 and ask her when the next one is or they often post on their Facebook and twitter accounts. It's Bikeregister they use
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was a bit disappointed with the RFID tag I bought - it couldn't be read outside the frame! The marketing pictures are rather misleading on that front...
Apparently the police check the usual places (where the canny thief would also check to remove it), but of course I thought to use somewhere a little unusual to prevent it being found.
I concluded that it could be useful for proof of ownership rather than for the police stumbling across the owner via finding the RFID. Another titbit - not all the stations have the readers...
So, I've just gone for UV marking in future - this includes registering the frame number, etc, so is reasonably handy, and the police might be more likely to check the database for owners.
Even then, the officers doing the (free) marking said that those who got their bikes marked were more likely to secure them properly...
Edinburgh Uni continue to do it free for staff and students, and will no doubt have more sessions coming up. Other universities and employers may do something similar, although I thought Police Scotland had cut this free service - tk suggests otherwise above.
Robert
Posted 8 years ago # -
When I had my old bike UV marked/datatagged the police that did it said that they believed it was worth it and effective because thieves thought that the tags meant the bikes could be tracked. Possible for less sophisticated thieves I guess. I figure the sophisticated ones know that an alphadot/datatag equivalent sticker means the bike is covered in these things so may choose to steal a bike that's not tagged this way over one that is.
Like I said, didn't cost much and I figure it can't hurt. I might have thought twice if it was even double the price- free it's a no brainer. Bike's insured anyway.
Lock it up as though it's not marked! :P
Posted 8 years ago # -
There were reports of a police sting operation recently. Can't find the article but there were a significant number of bikes recovered- reason enough to tag your bike I reckon :)
Posted 8 years ago # -
Screenshot_2015-08-13-14-01-19 by wingpig, on Flickr
Posted 8 years ago # -
BikeRegister security marking (consisting of chemical etching of a code onto the frame with an accompanying sticker and online registration) is available for free to Heriot-Watt staff and students from the Bike Bothy.
Posted 8 years ago # -
The police were doing BikeRegister security marking at the Bike Breakfast in June, but the bike I had marked has yet to make it onto the database. When I phoned up and asked, I was told that it often takes the police "several months" to past the details on.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Uni security staff running the uni-only stamping session at the Pleasance a few months back were capturing the data directly into a workbook on a laptop, for faster processing. Indeed, it was mere weeks before I received my email.
Posted 8 years ago #
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