As our cities work to promote cycling and cycling infrastructure, the rise of ridership correlates with the dramatic increase of bicycle thefts.
Bike theft is notoriously difficult to investigate, and stolen bicycles are equally difficult to recover. Theft victims often feel violated and helpless in the face of these crimes. There is nowhere to speak out, no outlet to take action. By gathering this community of individual voices, we can speak with a collective voice to shed light on the problem, and work together to find solutions.
The severe underreporting of bicycle thefts prohibits us from seeing the full scope of the problem and from allocating adequate resources to tackle it. Bikenapped asks the community to participate in a user-generated mapping of theft incidents, to share information with our neighbors and our city.
Raising awareness and disseminating information is crucial in addressing bike thefts. We seek to take the data beyond the digital realm and into the real urban environment we live in. Bikenapped asks users to post fliers at the physical place of the theft to warn others of what had happened. The information is not just relevant on the internet, it is more relevant to all the people who use the spaces where these thefts happen.
While bike theft is something most people experience alone, Bikenapped seeks to connect us with our neighbors and community. Theft does not only affect the individual victim, but the entire community. Each person's insights and experiences help shed more light on the problem.