Do You Recognize This Cute Bike? Why Brookline Police Are Asking

BROOKLINE, MA — In town there's a bylaw that bans anyone from locking a bike for more than three days to the same spot for storage. And Brookline Police are tasked with enforcing this bylaw. But not everyone knows that if they leave their bike chained too long around town it will end up in a police storage container.

Police say they understand this and want to give those who might not know about the bylaw a break.

That's why Tuesday afternoon police tweeted out a photo of a pink child's bike and asked folks if they recognized it, so they can let said small bike owner know that they're about to cut the lock and take it into custoday. But they're also looking for something else.

"Looking to find the owner of this bike in front of Town Hall and suggestions going forward on how to get knowledge of the Town of Brookline by-law of prohibited bike storage on a sign post or bike rack etc. over 72 hours," police tweeted.

" We have removed over 65 bikes this year for being illegally parked. Many are in very good working order. But never make it back to their owners. We assume the owners may just figure their bikes were stolen and never report it to us. When in reality we are the ones who took it. So what can we do to get bikes back to their owners? all ideas are welcome," the department wrote on Facebook.

Police say the child's bike that they were asked to remove is just an example of the many bikes they get notified about.

"We're looking for people to get back to us on how to get the word out about this," said Lt. Phil Harrington a spokesperson for the department.

Harrington said to the best of his knowledge the town hasn't had any advertisment campaigns to educate anyone on the bylaw.

One woman said police should create a registration for bikes in town with a picture of the owner and a bike.

"This way if bike is stolen, left in wrong place. Owners can be reached, reconnected with their bikes. Just like cars," said Biana Ma in a Facebook post responding to police.

What do you think?

If you have an idea of how to get the word out about the bylaw, police are asking you contact them.

You can email csd@brooklinema.gov or find them on twitter @BrooklineMaPD

From the Bicycle bylaw adopted in 2013:

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Photo courtesy Brookline Police