This is good news
D.C. police are using bait bikes to catch thieves who they believe are responsible for a spike in property crimes in and around Capitol Hill neighborhoods.
Last week, police teams placed two unsecured bikes on the 600 block of H Street Northeast. In less than an hour, the bikes were stolen five times.
I'm not sure about the unsecured part. Maybe that's just the Catholic in me.
“We didn’t have to wait 10 minutes,” said 1st Police District Commander David Kamperin. In one instance, police busted two thieves who rode off together.
Police do not know yet whether the suspects who were snagged in the bait bike operation are responsible for a recent rash of stolen bikes in the 1st District. East of 13th Street Southeast, the area around Potomac and Pennsylvania avenues has been hit hard. Thieves have made off with unsecured bikes left in backyards and used bolt-cutters to snap thin chains attached to racks, he said.
I'm not sure about the $300 part. That doesn't look like a $300 bike to me.
Posted by: Rich Wilson | September 01, 2008 at 03:21 AM
I dont like this entrapment.
Posted by: lilkunta | September 01, 2008 at 02:35 PM
An unlocked bike is not going to catch any bike thief, let alone "The Bike Theif" supposedly responsible for the recent spike of thefts. It's going to catch the first dumb kid who skipped school that day.
Posted by: Brendan | September 01, 2008 at 03:37 PM
This is not even close to entrapment. The thieves we have caught, just about to a person, have stated that they didn't see anything wrong with taking property that was not theirs. They just don't, and didn't, get it. If it's not YOURS, DON'T TAKE IT!!!!!! Each and every one of them is an opportunist. Are they THE bike thief, maybe, maybe not. I don't know that there is THE bike thief. What I do know, there are many people out there that do not live by the minimum standards of our society. If nothing else, this will give some of the opportunists pause. As the commander reported, the vast majority had extensive criminal histories. We provide the opportunity, they provide the criminal intent. Sorry for the prior typos.
Posted by: Sergeant Christopher Micciche | September 02, 2008 at 08:04 PM
Thanks for the work!
Some large percentage of stolen bikes weren't locked (or properly locked). Is it smart? No. Is it still wrong that they're stolen? Yes.
So even though this may not catch "professional" thieves who are busy prying locks and cutting chains, it makes it a little safer the next time you lock everything to the post /except/ the bike.
Posted by: Ron Alford | September 03, 2008 at 08:26 AM