April 25/07 9:44 am - Victoria Police Use 'Bait-Bikes' to Reduce Theft

Posted by Editor on 04/25/07
 

Victoria Police Use 'Bait-Bikes' to Reduce Theft

The Victoria Times Colonist is reporting that bicycle thefts dropped 29% in Victoria last year due to a public awareness campaign and a bait-bike program.  There were 548 reported bike thefts in Victoria for the 12 months ending March 31, compared to 770 in the previous year.

According to the Times Colonist, Victoria Police Chief Paul Battershill pointed to the "tremendous success" of the Protect Your Bike campaign, in which volunteers distribute flyers and pamphlets with information about bike locks, parking a bike, recording its information and contacting police if it's stolen.

The Times Colonist also quoted Sara Deyell, who runs Chain Chain Chain Cycling Services, as crediting the bait-bike program for the change. Police made headlines in March 2006 when they announced they would plant specially equipped bikes on the streets and use on-board global-positioning systems to track and catch thieves.

"I think it created fear," said Deyell. "And fear is sometimes a good thing."