Register Bikes with Avalon Police Department

AVALON — The Avalon Police Department has implemented a brand new bicycle registration program for the community. The program has been designed to greatly reduce the number of bicycle thefts in Avalon, while greatly improving the chances that a lost or stolen bicycle will be returned to its owner.
“We are very excited about this new, voluntary program,” stated Avalon Police Chief David Dean. “Unfortunately, bicycle thefts are common in shore resorts, and this new program will make it very difficult for bicycles to get into the hands of someone it doesn’t belong to”.
The Avalon Police Department is asking any bicycle owner in Avalon to stop by and fill out a two-sided blue registration card that will contain all of the necessary information. Police will then affix a small registration sticker onto the bicycle that matches information on the registration card. In the event a bicycle is lost or stolen, the registration will make it much easier for Avalon Police to return the bicycle to its owner.
This new bicycle registration program is free, and voluntary. Year ‘round residents, vacation homeowners, and even summertime visitors can visit the Avalon Police Department at 31st Street and Dune Drive anytime to register their bicycle. There are no restrictions on the number of bicycles a family can register.
“Our primary goal is to reduce the number of stolen and lost bicycles in Avalon”, said Dean. “It is a fact that stolen bikes inflate crime statistics that are reported by seashore communities like Avalon. We want to make the theft of a bicycle, which is really a crime of opportunity, much less desirable”.
The Avalon Police Department strongly encourages the public to secure their bicycles in a safe, locked, secure location when the bikes are not in use. Bicycles should not be left unlocked in driveways or yards, and they should not be unlocked when bicycles are parked to enjoy a day at the beach, or a shopping trip. “This is the simplest way to eliminate the risk of having your bicycle stolen”, Dean said.
The Avalon Police Department will also make a limited number of bicycle locks available for free to the general public, and it has reached out to other organizations in an attempt to secure more bicycle locks.
This new bicycle registration program is being promoted on the Borough’s website, www.avalonboro.org; on Avalon’s public access television channel, ShoreTV Channel 2, and on Avalon’s AM radio station, 1630AM. The program will also be highlighted in the Borough’s spring newsletter in mid-May.