Victoria bicycle thieves could be stealing more than they bargained for with police planting specially equipped bait bikes in high theft areas downtown and in Esquimalt.
Police won't say how many of the special bikes are in use or how they work, but confirm that the bikes are equipped with hidden global positioning systems (GPS). But police are promising audio and video of the operation in about three weeks and say they will have the technology, using GPS, to remotely track a bait bike once it is stolen.
"There may be GPS. There may be video on the bikes," Police Chief Paul Battershill said. "They're out there now."
Battershill said bike theft is a major problem here in Canada's cycling capital. Some $500,000 worth of bicycles a year, or 60 a month, are reported stolen. Of those, police recover about half and only a small portion of those can be traced back to the original owner.
The bait bikes are being built from unclaimed bikes police have recovered.
Video of thefts in progress will be taken as a means of presenting the best evidence to the courts, said police spokesman Insp. Les Sylven.
Police say the bait bike effort is the first of its kind in North America. Patterned after the successful bait-car program, which has resulted in a 42 per cent reduction in car thefts, the bike program is one of several initiatives in the Protect Your Bike crime prevention strategy launched in cooperation with the Downtown Victoria Business Association.
Bicycles are stolen for any number of reasons, including for use in armed robberies and drug deals, said Sylven. "A lot of bikes are stolen for quick resale, attached to the drug problem. Locally it (bike theft) is a huge problem," he said.
Battershill said the success of the program will be tracked. "We're going to try to delineate if we've improved locking stuff up and ... whether the bike program does reduce the amount of thefts. If it doesn't, we won't do it and if it does, we'll push harder."
Sara Deyell of the Chain Chain Chain bike shop agreed that bike theft is a huge problem. Many of her customers have had their bikes stolen shortly after buying them, she said. "It hurts the community and business. It hurts people who are making lifestyle choices."
Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition president John Luton welcomed the initiative. He said he hasn't had a bike stolen in Victoria in 30 years, but he has had equipment stolen from bikes.
The $18,000 Protect Your Bike program ($10,000 from the business association) will see some 32,000 brochures delivered in Victoria and Esquimalt, featuring a photo of a bike-helmeted Battershill as a spokesman. It offers tips on how to lock your bike, where to park, and how to record your bike's vital statistics.
Officers will visit schools to talk about the anti-theft campaign and volunteers will audit bikes locked at school racks and leave cards on bikes with a rating on how effectively they were locked up.
TIPS FOR KEEPING THIEVES AT BAY
PARKING YOUR BIKE
- Pick a heavily travelled, well-lit location.
- The most secure object to lock your bike to is a well-designed bike rack that is permanently anchored to the ground. Try to lock up at racks near building entrances.
- If a rack is full, find another. Don't try to squeeze your bike into a space that won't allow you to lock properly.
- When racks aren't available, try to find a sturdy immovable object like a signpost.
TYPES OF LOCKS
- By far the most secure type is the flat U or D shaped lock made of solid steel.
- Use two locks. The more tools, time and trouble it takes a thief to steal your bike, the less likely it will be stolen.
- The best position for the locking mechanism is in the centre of the cross bar.
* A cable lock should be at least 9.5 mm in diameter to avoid being cut by bolt or wire cutters.
HOW TO LOCK YOUR BIKE
- With a quick release front wheels, remove the wheel; place it next to the rear wheel and fit your U-lock around the rack through all parts of the bike -- rear wheel, frame and front wheel.
- Lock your cable around the front wheel and the rack.
* With non-quick release fronts, U-lock the rear wheel and frame to the rack.
- Use a cable lock to secure the front wheel to the frame and a stationary object.
- Since the rear wheel is twice as expensive as the front one, if you can't lock both, lock it.
- Don't lock your bike only by its wheel. The thief will steal the rest of the bike.
STOLEN BIKES
- Less than 15 per cent of stolen bikes recovered by Victoria police are returned to their rightful owners, primarily because owners don't check with police and lack proper identification for the bike.
- Record the following about your bike: Make, model, manufacturer, serial number, colour, type, men's/women's, speeds. Take a good colour photograph.
- For greater security, engrave your B.C. driver's licence number several places on your bike. Engravers are available free at police headquarters and at most bike retailers.
INSURANCE
- Bikes are usually only insured under a homeowner's or tenant's policy.
- Unless covered under a separate schedule, most policies have a $300 to $5,500 deductible clause, plus you will lose any no claims discounts (approximately $80 per year on a typical homeowner's policy) for three years. Payout is replacement value and carries a maximum ranging from $500 to $1,000. (So, if your bike has a $750 replacement value, taking in a $500 deductible and the loss of a $240 no-claims discount for three years, your real claim totals $10).
- Your bike can be insured to its purchase price with a $100 deductible under a separate schedule. A typical premium is four per cent of the insured value.
Source: Victoria Police Department
http://www.victoriapolice.org/protect%20your%20bike.pdf
