SHELBY — A new option is available for Shelby youth to help keep their bicycles safe and secure.
A kids bike registration program was launched at this year’s Shelby Bicycle Days festival — allowing local youth to register their bicycle, similar to a car registration.
Festival attendees could register bikes in the program, sponsored by the Shelby Fraternal Order of Police, during the two-day annual community festival.
Kristen Wasilewski, Bicycle Days 2024 co-chair, said a database system is being created with the help of the Shelby Police Department.
With the information gathered, the goal is to create an efficient way to return lost or stolen bicycles.
“Bikes get lost, bikes get taken, so there’s something to back that up now, to hopefully eliminate that stress for kids and families,” Wasilewski said.
Program goal is to be ‘year-long endeavor’
The kids bike registration program aims to ensure a bike can be returned to its rightful owner in the event its lost or stolen.
Wasilewski said more than 20 bicycles were registered into the program as of 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, adding local residents expressed excitement.
The program was available to enter at no cost during the Bicycle Days festival on Friday and Saturday.
Moving forward, she said the goal for the new program is to be “a year-long endeavor.”
“We are working through those details (to continue the registration program year-round),” Wasilewski said Saturday.
“As of now, this is a project that our new (Shelby City Schools) school resource officer, Hannah Hall, is hoping to launch in the school as well,” she said.
‘Perfect team effort’ made new program a reality
Wasilewski said the bike registration program was one of her favorite additions to the annual community festival.
A new member of the Bicycle Days committee proposed the idea after learning about this type of program in the community they previously lived in, she said.
“It really was like the perfect team effort (to make the program a reality),” Wasilewski said.
Furthermore, the Bicycle Days co-chair said Hall saw a need in the Shelby community for a program to promote bike security.
“She (Hall) was willing to say ‘I will take that on as a school resource officer on behalf of Shelby PD — that we can support,'” Wasilewski said.
Between the committee member’s idea, funding from the Shelby FOP and partnership with the city’s police department, “true community” was displayed.
As the program’s future is discussed and fleshed out, Wasilewski said more details will be made available to the community.
“It’s (registration program creation) one of my favorite coming together moments,” she said. “It was really cool to see that come together.”
