This Saturday, the Sacramento Police Department is holding “Operation ID” which will provide engravers to put identifying numbers on your bicycle. This operation is in response to a rise in garage burglaries in which bicycles are being stolen.

The Police Department is attempting to curb a string of thirty-five garage burglaries in the downtown and east Sacramento area that have occurred since January 2010. The burglar(s) have been forcing their way into detached garages in the late evening to early morning hours. It is unknown at this time if the burglaries are connected or are individual acts.

On March 20, 2010, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., officers will be at Mckinley Park providing engravers to the community to place identifying numbers on their bicycles. Police will also write down your serial number for you to keep. The purpose of the program is to enhance the chances of locating stolen property (such as bicycles), by providing police an identifying number to run when we come across suspected stolen items.

We would like to remind the community to lock your doors, have proper lighting around your residence, purchase an alarm if you can, write down the serial number from your valuables (tv, iPods, bicycles etc…), or engrave identifying numbers on your property.

The Sacramento Police Department urges anyone with information pertaining to this crime or this person to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.