Bait bikes: the way to beat theft gangs
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The pilot schemes seemed to show bait bikes are a significant deterrent. Bikes thefts dropped by 45% at Cambridge rail station when British Transport Police tested the method. Even in the UK's bike theft capital, London, rates dropped by around a third in one local trial.
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There are two main deterrents to cycling: road safety and theft. Gangs of young kids often steal the bikes and pass them on to criminals who store them in lock ups and garages before selling them. The advantage of using bait bikes is that it enables you to track the stolen bike back to the organised gang lock up, rather than just arresting the young bike thieves... You've got to get the gangs. You've got to find out where they keep the bikes.