It’s now illegal in Anchorage to remove a bicycle’s serial number

Chipping away a serial number on a bicycle, propane tank or other merchandise is now a misdemeanor offense in Anchorage, as elected officials search for ways to combat theft.

The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously Tuesday night to create a new category of crime tied to the removal of identification marks created by manufacturers. A person can also be charged for knowingly being in possession of merchandise with a defaced serial number, unless they can prove ownership through materials like receipts, maintenance records or photos, said Assemblyman Christopher Constant, the sponsor of the measure.

Serial numbers, if registered with police, are one key way that police can reunite owners with stolen property.

Constant said the measure was one way to help Anchorage counter a rise in theft, particularly bike theft. He has cited concern about “chop shops,” where stolen bikes are stashed and traded in the woods along the city’s trail system.

In October, Constant introduced an ordinance to require residents to register their bikes on a free online database, or face a fine. He quickly dropped it after an outcry over the fines.

[Register your bike or face a fine, Anchorage Assemblyman proposes]

But without some kind of bike registration program, the new misdemeanor offenses won’t do much good, West Anchorage Assemblywoman Austin Quinn-Davidson told fellow Assembly members before the vote Tuesday night. She said thieves will soon learn not to tamper with serial numbers.

“I see this as a first step that clears things off at the beginning, but we need to come in and get a registration up,” Quinn-Davidson said.

Information about registering a bicycle can be found on the Anchorage Police Department website.