What Happened?
The San Francisco Police Department uses new technology and tactics to catch bike thieves and track down stolen property. San Francisco is one of several major cities working on proactively protecting bicycles as more residents are opting to cycle around the community.
The Goal
With more residents opting to bike places, local law enforcement in San Francisco is making bike theft a priority. The San Francisco Police Department has joined Twitter under the handle @SFPDBikeTheft and is using the social network to post photographs of suspects and convicted criminals to raise awareness in the community. The police department is also leveraging GPS technology to track down stolen property and criminals red-handed.
The San Francisco PD has started to leave “bait bikes” out and unprotected, hoping to lure regular bike thieves into the trap. The expensive bait bikes are rigged with GPS technology, making it easy for police to find the criminals and possibly return any other stolen items, The New York Times reported.
Demand
As more cyclists continue to peruse San Francisco, the number of bike thefts has increased as well. Between 2006 and 2012, the city estimates bike theft has increased 70 percent – with more than 4,000 bikes on average taken annually. The higher value of bicycles has also attracted more theft. Modern bikes are more complex and technologically savvy than traditional bikes, with the majority of cyclists toting vehicles worth more than $1,500.
The New York Times reports the rise in San Franciscan bike use was nurtured by the city’s five-year plan to:
- Increase bike accessibility
- Add bike lanes
- Issue safety messages to bikers
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors also approved a $75,000 fund to support efforts against bike theft such as bait bikes and tracking equipment. The booming tech industry in San Francisco has also played a role as more bicycles come equipped with accessories to support outdoorsy technology such as smartphones and tablets.
National Movement
Rising bike theft is not unique to San Francisco. More bikers are having their vehicles stolen across the country, spurring a variety of anti-theft efforts. The Census Bureau reported a 60 percent increase in Americans who bike to work between 2000 and 2008. Seattle alone has reported a 75 percent increase in bike commuters in the last 14 years.
At the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the campus police department perfected the bait bike strategy, resulting in a 40 percent decline in bike theft. The successful anti-theft program also included significant public outreach to the student body raising awareness of bike protection best practices.
A survey of Montreal residents found nearly half of all active cyclists have their bikes stolen at one point in time:
- Only 2.4 percent of these stolen bikes were ever reported
- Just 36 percent of cyclists reported the theft
- Only 8.5 percent of stolen bikes were registered with the city at the time
Not making law enforcement aware of bike theft prevalence makes it difficult to curb the crime rate. The Chicago Stolen Bike Registry was launched to prevent the disconnect between victims and law enforcement. But the police are not doing this alone. Bike Index was recently founded to catalog bikes before and after they are stolen. Once the registry becomes full, it will be easier for people to look up a bike before purchase to see if it has been stolen.
Teching Out Law Enforcement
Gov1 has noted a trend in local law enforcement agencies as more investments are made into the latest technologies such as GPS tagging and surveillance equipment.