A couple of suggestions to make this a little more user/civilian friendly: 1. Post this procedure on the city's website - probably under the Bike Madison tab for TE, even though this is a MPD procedure. Before posting, translate it itnto non-MPD/city-employee terms. (I have no idea what a LERMS is or what the template for recording found/recovered bikes contains. Obviously, the drive designation -- *F:\Pdcommon\PROPERTY\Bicycle... -- *doesn't make sense to anyone outside the department.)
2. Please clarify this step under "To process bikes at office": 1. Run NCIC, bike registration checks. *Optional: Check stolen bike reports to match.* [emphasis mine] Does this mean that checking reports of stolen bikes is optional when processing found/recovered bikes? That doesn't seem right. 3. *There should be some process for clearing abandoned bikes other than simply complaint-driven.* The first sentences in the procedure below seem to imply that abandoned bikes will not be removed from public property unless someone complains. Maybe this is not clearly written (in which case it needs to be clarified.) If that interpretation is correct, then this is not good policy. We do not allow cars to languish abandoned in public parking spots for weeks or months, taking up space that others want to use. We remove them fairly promptly. Every day people in the downtown and other neighborhoods see bikes that are clearly abandoned and taking up space at racks. These areas frequently do not have enough bike parking as it is, and yet we allow abandoned bikes to sit there. The MPD needs to work with other city departments and business associations to come up with a procedure to clear abandoned bikes, preferably every couple of weeks. This will go a long way to alleviating the bike parking shortage in downtown and other areas. 4. The procedures state that bikes can be removed immediately if they are blocking an outdoor eating area. However, some of these outdoor eating areas are not set up until later in the day. I have had the experience of legally parking my bike on a sign post or parking meter that later was going to be enclosed in a sidewalk cafe. (I didn't know that when I parked there.) I came back to find an employee trying to remove the lock. He stated that the police were going to cut off the lock shortly. When I parked, there was no indication that my bike would be removed without my knowledge, because there was no indication that area would suddenly become, essentially private property at 4 PM. This needs to be clarified with both businesses with sidewalk cafes and how to let bicyclists know they are in danger of having their bike removed. Again, this will require coordination with other city departments and business associations. 5. I'm not sure if the MPD has consulted the UW about their procedures or whether the two departments coordinate. (That would be not just UWPD, but also Transportation Services and Field Services from Facilities Planning & Maintenance, who actually remove abandoned bikes.) In the near-campus area, many people are not sure which streets are UW-controlled vs. city streets. I know that UW receives many calls asking about bikes that have been tagged or removed by MPD, and I would assume the opposite is true. There should be tight coordination and sharing of records to make it easier for people to find their stolen, lost, and recovered bikes AND bikes that were tagged as abandoned and maybe removed. Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst 608-263-9984 (o) 608-225-0002 (c) [email protected] All opinions expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer or any other group with which I am affiliated. On Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 6:09 AM, Larry D Nelson <[email protected]> wrote: > Kelly Giessinger, MPD responded with the procedure for stolen bikes. > Unfortunately, a number of you may have experience with the process from > the standpoint of having lost and recovered or not recovered your bike. > > > > If you have suggestions regarding the procedure, please contact Kelly > directly. You may also want to let Alder Mark Clear, who has been very > attentive to bike interests, know as well. > > > > > > > > *Bicycle Process* > > When calls and emails come in for abandoned bicycles, log the information > in the *Bicycle Pickup List *located in the share direct1y at > *F:\Pdcommon\PROPERTY\Bicycle > Information\Pick Up List. *The Reports Needed clerk will be responsible > for processing the list for that week. > > *GUIDELINES* > > • Bikes on private property: Generally, we do not pick these up, but > use your discretion. We can look up serial number in the City bike > registration if the owner can provide the serial number in an attempt to > find the owner. Exception is Lucky Apartments, which has an agreement > with the City to pick up abandoned bikes. > > • Locked bikes on public property: Staple 48 hour notice (green) to bike > and note when to return for pickup. > > • Unlocked bikes on public property: May be picked up immediately. > > • May be picked up immediately whether locked or not. Can staple > immediate removal notice (pink) to bike and leave it for a short time > before removing. > > o Secured to a tree > > o On the terrace adjacent to a bus stop, freight loading zone, truck > loading zone, passenger loading zone, loading zone for people with > disabilities, taxi stand, parking place for people with disabilities so as > to interfere with vehicle loading. > > o Blocking a crosswalk > > o Blocking the outdoor eating area of a restaurant > To pick up bikes: > > *1. *Call Data at the time you take the bike to get a case number for > Found Property. 266-4673 > > 2. Note time and location of pickup for your report. > > 3. Drop at Fairchild storage area or bring back to CCB. > > 4. Complete *Field Description and Research Notes *form (may want to > do this at CCB if bringing back to CCB). > To process bikes at the office: > > 1. Run NCIC, bike registration checks. Optional: Check stolen bike > reports to match. Can record the date checks are completed on the *Field > Description and Research Notes.* > > 2. Complete LERMS Quick Ent1y. > > 3. Check bike in to LERMS. Tie string tag to handles with bar code > label. > > • If no owner found: Dispo = Unknown Owner, Target for Disposal = 45 > days > > • If owner found: Dispo = Letter Sent, Target for Disposal = 30 days, > send letter > > 4. Complete case report using templates in share directory and copy > to share direct01y > > *F:\Pdcommon\PROPERTY\Right of Refusal Supplement Reports* > > Report examples: *F: \Pdcommon*IP*ROPERTY\Bicycle Information \Report > Examples* > > 5. Complete a disposition form and attach *Property Quick Receipt *and > *Field Description and Research Notes *to the form. > > 6. Contact person who made report if they asked us to report back. > Note this info in *Bicycle Pickup List *for your reference. > > > > >
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