'Bait bike' program produces string of arrests

Word of hidden devices spreads among thieves; free stickers to be issued as a further deterrent  

Jeff Bell, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, April 01, 2006

Bike thieves are taking the bait.

The Victoria Police Department's month-old "bait bike" program -- believed to be the first in North America -- already has to a string of arrests, and is beginning to send a message on the street, said Sgt. Keith Lewis.

After one recent arrest, the suspect knew right away why he'd been caught, Lewis said.

"He said 'Is this a bait bike? Where's the GPS?' We thought that was fairly telling -- that the word's already spreading amongst the criminal world."

GPS -- Global Positioning System -- technology is one of the ways the bait-bike program can work, Lewis said. GPS devices can be hidden on bicycles, allowing them to be tracked when a theft occurs. The concept is based on the widely used bait-car system.

To date, police have been experimenting with GPS and various standard surveillance methods for their bait-bike activities.

Lewis wouldn't say how many bikes are being used or how many arrests have been made, preferring to keep the numbers quiet in order to heighten the deterrence factor.

"Any bike can be a bait bike," he said. "If you're going to steal a bike, your chance of getting caught is greatly increased in Victoria and Esquimalt. Be aware: Any bike you pick up may have GPS, you may be under surveillance directly at the time."

About 750 bike thefts are reported every year in Victoria and Esquimalt.

"We figure that that is only a portion of how many are actually stolen," Lewis said.

The size of the theft problem was the impetus for the bait-bike program, which is part of the larger Protect Your Bike campaign, he said.

"Obviously, our goal here is to arrest bike thieves in the act, and have excellent evidence to go to court with and convict them."

Coming up soon with the bait-bike project will be "bait bike" stickers, meant to add protection for bike owners, Lewis said. They will be available free at the police station and various other locations.

"When we have them made, people will be able to put on their bikes, making somebody wonder if their bike is a bait bike."

Other aspects of the Protect Your Bike campaign linked to public awareness and theft prevention are having the desired effect, Police Chief Paul Battershill said.

"Although the program is only a few weeks old, we're very pleased with the success so far. Bicycle retailers downtown are telling us that they're selling a lot more high-quality locks and people are using them to lock their bikes up, which was the main goal of the program."

Police department volunteers will be at Hillside Shopping Centre today, giving out information on preventing bike theft.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2006