By Leslie Koren

The Washington Times, October 2, 1998

This is true: District residents must register their bicycles with citypolice within 14 days of buying the cycle, or risk a fine. Same goes fornewcomers to the city: Register the bike within 14 days of moving in orface a fine.

It costs $1 for a five-year bicycle registration.

It's a District law that is almost universally ignored, and with goodreason: Few if any bike owners are ever slapped with the $5 fines imposedon violators.

D.C. police Lt. James Cullen of the 2nd District will have his officersbegin enforcing the law this month. He's tired of the 45 ownerless bikesrecovered by police that clutter his district police station and frustratedthat he can rarely match a found bicycle with its rightful owner.

Lt. Cullen is organizing a bicycle registration drive in the 2nd District,which includes Georgetown, Glover Park, Woodley Park and Cleveland Park.He has ordered his officers to start citing persons riding unregisteredbikes after the registration push is over.

But cyclists grumble that registering their bikes doesn't stop themfrom being stolen.

"There's really not too many chances they're gonna find it," said bikemessenger Mike Wilson on a delivery in Georgetown.

"You've got enough rules and regulations out here so I wouldn't takethe time to do it," said Mr. Wilson, 24.

Several years ago, Lt. Cullen served on an enhanced enforcement teamthat focused on bicycle registration in the District's downtown.

"There was a lot of eye rolling and people didn't think it would domuch," Lt. Cullen said, but he adds that crime decreased significantlyin the area. "Part of that was looking at the little things."

The new plan coincides with Chief Charles H. Ramsey's call for greaterfocus on quality-of-life crimes, though Lt. Cullen planned his effort beforethe chief publicized his idea.

Bicycle registration enables police to detain bikers and if rider andregistration don't match up, to arrest the rider. Police can impound unregisteredbicycles. [sounds like another excuse to stop people at random and checkthem out-M]

The crackdown leaves some cycling enthusiasts cold.

"A lot of people tend not to register their bikes because they feelit really doesn't make a difference," said Michael Hwang, 29, who managesBig Wheel Bikes in Georgetown. He commutes daily from Dupont Circle toGeorgetown on his unregistered bike.

"Bikes have been recovered. We do hear stories like that," said EllenJones, the director of Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

"I don't think you should rely on bike registration to recover a stolenbike. Registering your bike is one thing in an array of things that a savvycyclist should do to protect their bicycle," she said.

Police in the 2nd District will aggressively enforce the registrationlaw.

"If they run a red light, we'll stop them for the red light violationand we'll ask them to see the registration," Lt. Cullen said.

REGISTER THAT BIKE

D.C. law requires residents to register their bicycles. Police in the2nd District will enforce the law after a registration drive this month.

REQUIREMENT: Register bicycles within 14 days of moving into the cityor purchasing a bicycle
COST: $1

TERM OF REGISTRATION: Five years

FINE FOR NOT REGISTERING: Impoundment. Violators must pay $5 to getbike back, plus a $1 registration fee

POLICE OFFICERS WILL REGISTER BIKES AT THE FOLLOWING SPOTS:

* Safeway on the 5500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW

* Safeway at 42nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW

* Safeway on the 4800 block of MacArthur Boulevard NW

* In front of the National Zoo, 3000 block of Connecticut Avenue NW

TIMES, DATES: Officers will be at each of the locations Oct. 14, 15,16 from 3 p.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. and Oct. 17 and 18 from 7 a.m. to 2:30p.m.

REQUIREMENTS: Bicycles must have working brakes, a safety bell and alight

Source: Metropolitan Police Department