SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (May 30, 2003) – An estimated two million bicycles are stolen every year. And no place is bicycle theft a bigger problem than on college campuses.

For example, in the University of California system, more than half of the property crime involves bicycle theft. Research has suggested that a four-year student cyclist has a 17.75% chance of losing their bicycle. By taking the possible unreported thefts into account, a four-year student bicyclist faces a 53% chance of losing their bike to theft.

But there’s hope: police recover nearly half of all stolen bikes. Unfortunately, they return only about 3 percent since they can’t match the bike to the owner and the rest wind up in some warehouse awaiting auction. That’s why the National Bike Registry (NBR), the only nationwide bike registration system, has become the most proven resource for uniting stolen bikes with their owners.

“With NBR registration, if your bike is stolen, you have a good chance that police ANYWHERE will recover it, identify it and be able to return it to you,” said Chuck Davis, NBR spokesperson. “It’s not enough to simply register with your school or local community, unless they use NBR. If your bike is stolen on campus in Berkeley, but recovered in Oakland or clear across the country, only NBR’s nationwide database can make a match and help get your bike back.”

“Along with a helmet and a good bike lock, NBR registration is one of the most important accessories you can buy,” he adds.

NBR, in cooperation with the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), the McGruff® the Crime Dog people, has introduced a convenient new retail pack to fight bicycle theft. The NBR Bike Registration Pack includes a ten-year registration with NBR, a tamper-resistant, serialized security label, and a BONUS key tag that gives the user BoomerangIt Lost & Found Service for their keys for 10 years. The pack sells for just $10 at participating bike shops or online at -- www.nationalbikeregistry.com -- as well as through police departments and safety offices at many colleges coast-to-coast.

McGruff is a nationally recognized symbol of crime prevention. Teaming up with National Bike Registry helps to spread the message throughout communities in the United States and create local support to help build safer communities and reduce crime through comprehensive crime prevention programs.

About the National Bike Registry
National Bicycle Registry (www.nationalbikeregistry.com) a BoomerangIt, Inc. company based in San Leandro, Calif., is the nation’s leading Internet-based bicycle registration system, dedicated to helping law enforcement agencies return lost and stolen bicycles and scooters to their rightful owners since 1984. Utilizing the latest technology and a comprehensive, national database, NBR provides this service to consumers through its Web site, toll-free number, retailers, manufacturers and more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies. The National Bike Registry can be found on the Web at -- www.nationalbikeregistry.com -- or by calling 1-800-848-BIKE. NBR is the national registration service of choice by Diamondback, Giant, Kryptonite, Raleigh and Razor.

About BoomerangIt™
BoomerangIt (http://www.boomerangit.com), based in San Leandro, Calif., is an Internet-powered global registration system that works with law enforcement, Good Samaritans, and fiduciaries such as hotels, restaurants and airlines, to help return lost and stolen property to its rightful owners. BoomerangIt provides an easy, inexpensive means to label and identify valuable items -- everything from digital cameras to luggage to golf clubs and more -- and to facilitate their return if lost or stolen. For more information, visit the BoomerangIt Web site at -- www.boomerangit.com -- or call 1-800-2Boomit (1-800-226-6648).

About the National Crime Prevention Council
NCPC is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization whose mission is to help people prevent crime and build safer, more caring communities. NCPC accomplishes its mission through training and technical assistance to national, state and local drug, violence and other crime prevention practitioners; demonstration programs which create environments for research and learning; public service advertising via TV, radio and print challenging viewers to act against violence, drugs and other crimes; Crime Prevention Coalition of America is a network of 600+ national, state and local organizations formed to advance the cause of crime prevention; and educating and informing the field on best practices through highly regarded Web sites, brochures, booklets, books, videos, posters and reproducible kits.

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