Beverly Bike Theft Surge Spurs Registration Event Friday

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly police and the city Bike Commission will host a special bicycle registration event for pre-teens and teens amid an increase in bike thefts across the North Shore over the past year.

The event will give students the chance to register their bikes with tamper-resistant registration decals so that they can be more easily recognized and located if lost or stolen, as well as receive a free bike lock and learn about bike safety.

The event will be held at the McPherson Youth Center from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday.

It will also include free ice cream, food and games.

Beverly police have repeatedly warned children and families of increased bike thefts over the past year with one rash of bike thefts in the city adding up to nearly a dozen lost bikes valued at up to $10,000 in June.

Police also asked parents to be cognizant of any new bike that their child may be riding around the neighborhood.

"These bikes are expensive," Beverly police said this spring. "If your child comes home with a bike that you did not purchase, please ask them where they got it and vet the information.

"It probably was not a 'gift' from a friend and your child could be charged with larceny or receiving stolen property."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)