City Council Member Proposing Bike Registry To Combat Thefts In Midtown
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Bike bandits are striking at an alarming rate in midtown Sacramento, causing residents to walk or drive instead. One city leader has an idea he hopes will stop the cycle of crime and help cyclists get their rides back.
"I don't ride it to certain places or certain areas, or certain spots because I know it is going to get stolen there," said Mariah Ramana, a midtown cyclist.
Ramana has changed the way she rides after having three bikes stolen in just two years. Her favorite one she called "Johnny Cash."
"The rims, the handle bars, the accessories; it was me; it was my own, like, project," said Ramana.
She, like so many others, is tired of cycling the same circle of crime and Sacramento city council member Steve Hansen wants to do something about it.
"Right now we just don't have a good way to track bicycles," said Hansen.
Hansen, a bike rider himself, says many owners don't even file police reports, knowing its unlikely they'll get their bikes back. Hansen wants to start a bike registry and says it would be as simple as taking a picture of your bike and signing up with a serial number -- possibly even using the city's 311 system.
"That would create a database and people who then steal bikes try to, like, sell them in cities in thrift stores or other places -- somebody could go check to see if that bike is stolen," said Hansen.
"I think it's a good idea for a lot of people," said Ramana.
Ramana hopes it changes her midtown biking reality.
"In general, you know that you have to be careful with how you lock it up, where you lock it up," she said.
Hansen says he's trying to figure out if it needs to be voted on by city council to become an ordinance or if it should be handled by the police department.
