Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

Webmaster

From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

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Police arrest two for taking bait bikes downtown

This is slightly dated, but in December, APD did a sting where they left a (presumably unlocked) $2000 Trek at 6th & Sabine, and waited for someone to take it.  They made two arrests, in two different instances.  Since the bike was valued at over $1500, it's a State Jail Felony (180 days to 2 years in jail).

Something about this doesn't feel quite right.  The kind of person who takes a super-expensive unlocked bike one time is likely usually not the same kind of person who makes a habit out of cutting locks on bikes and hauling away as many as he can.  I'm not worried about the former, since I always lock my bike.  Also, the sting was in an area with lots of drunks and homeless, whom I could see taking an unattended bike but not making a business out of cutting locks on all kinds of bikes and taking them.

One of the reader comments from the Statesman article:

For years I noted a van parked in Pease Park - and they would regularly receive stolen bikes - they could get 10-15 bikes in - give the transients $20 per bike. One transient worked REI - Whole Foods area and stole bikes daily. It was in plain site - I photographed him, I took photo's of the van license tag - I called 911, and would wait - no police would ever show. Another house in our North Loop area - yard full of bikes 'for sale' - guy that lived there would go downtown on the bus, return on a bike - this went on for years - cops weren't interested.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crim … kes/ncMGw/

Jack

Member

Registered: 2013-03-27

Posts: 344

Re: Police arrest two for taking bait bikes downtown

I inquired of the reporter, just after you posted the above, whether the bikes were locked or unlocked and she said she didn't know one way or the other. 

Recently there was a report of a similar program on campus, with locked bikes:

University of Texas Police Officer Ruth Jasso says her department takes bicycle theft very seriously.  Jusso’s department is now using GPS technology hidden in bikes across campus to catch the crooks.

Campus police lock bikes, with a hidden GPS, in high-theft areas and wait for someone to take the bait. A computer program then notifies police dispatch of the theft, and the chase is on catch the thief.

The GPS tool helps police track and locate bike crooks as they try to get away. Jasso says that the bait bikes are working.

Last edited by Jack (2014-04-24 14:12:51)

dougmc

Administrator

Registered: 2008-06-01

Posts: 631

Re: Police arrest two for taking bait bikes downtown

I hope they were using locked bikes.  I'd rather the police go after the people who carry around the tools to steal bikes (i.e. they were planning for that stuff) rather than those who just saw an opportunity and took it, even if that means they get fewer people.  Just put the weakest cable lock on it and that should be enough.

I imagine it makes prosecution easier too -- not only can they also get them for having burglarly tools with them if they went that route (§16.01 Unlawful Use of Criminal Instrument), but it also removes the possible defense of "I saw the unlocked bike there and was trying to track down the owner so it wouldn't get stolen".  Not that this should be believed, but "beyond a reasonable doubt" leaves a lot of room to acquit folk.