GPS Devices Aid in Thwarting Bicycle Theft

Bicycle theft is sometimes viewed by the public at large—and, unfortunately, sometimes by law enforcement agencies themselves—as a sort of “lesser crime.” While everyone would agree bicycle theft isn’t on the same level of crime as physical assault, bank robbery, or even car theft, it should not be dismissed as an unimportant or insignificant crime. For many people, a bicycle represents a significant investment of money, and it is often not merely a recreational vehicle but someone’s primary means of transportation.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in the 14 years following 1996 sales of bicycles in this country increased by nearly 20 percent. Why are bikes becoming increasingly popular? A number of factors contribute to it:

• Americans’ growing concerns over the environment and desire to reduce their carbon footprint as well as to reduce noise pollution


• Americans’ frustration with congested traffic


• People’s needs to exercise to reduce weight and lower their risk of heart disease and other health risks

While most people would agree that riding a bicycle is a good idea for many people, some people refrain from purchasing a bike because they are concerned that it may be stolen. Stolen bikes are often not reported. And they’re often not recovered. However, GPS technology is starting to change all of that.

Using GPS-Enabled Bikes as “Bait”

Police forces in locations in England, Canada, and the United States have instituted programs that use bicycles that are covertly equipped with GPS technology in order to apprehend bicycle thieves. Bikes that are GPS equipped can be continuously tracked from a central location as they move throughout an urban area, allowing police officers to apprehend thieves with the stolen item, catching them “red-handed.”

Generally these systems work the same way: police officers leave a GPS-equipped bicycle locked, but not very securely locked, in an obvious location and monitor their GPS screens from a remote location. Not only does this allow them to catch bike thieves, but it also provides additional data about crime patterns, the thief’s habitual haunts, and has led, in some cases, to the apprehension of criminals wanted for crimes much more serious than bicycle theft.

Virginia Tech: A Case Study

College campuses are popular places for bicycles—young students are often in good physical shape and enjoy riding them from the residence halls to classroom buildings, to the dining hall, and so on. Campuses can be too small to conveniently drive a car from here to there (and parking is nearly always a challenge on campus), but walking may take too much time or be too physically taxing. And, of course, a bicycle is a far more cost-efficient mode of transportation than is a car. All these reasons contribute to the popularity of bikes as a mode of campus transportation.

Unfortunately, the proliferation of bicycles on campuses also leads to increased problems with bicycle theft. In order to combat the problem, Virginia Tech’s on-campus police instituted a “bait-bike” program in 2013, using GPS-enabled bicycles. These bikes look like any other student bicycle and are mixed in with students’ bikes at bike racks across campus.

Virginia Tech (VT) has only one police officer for every 300 students, so being able to remotely track a stolen item has appeal for the force. Campus police recommend that students do the following to deter bike theft:

• Register the bike on campus


• Memorize or keep a copy of the bike’s serial number


• Use a high quality bike lock

VT campus police note that, as of September 2013, no one had actually stolen a GPS-equipped bait bike. But they credit the fact that fewer bikes have been stolen in 2013 than were in 2012, at least in part to the fact that the bait-bike program is widely known on campus. The program itself is an effective deterrent to theft.

Campus police also note that bike thieves are often repeat offenders and may have several bikes in their possession when they are apprehended. Other thieves, though, are not habitual offenders but may be merely “lazy students” looking for a quick ride across campus. They may not view their activities as “stealing” but as “borrowing without permission.” However, as far as campus security and the bicycle owners are concerned, “borrowing without permission” constitutes theft and can result in the loss of the bicycle to the owner and a significant financial burden to him—and prosecution for the perpetrator.

Larger-scale operations, such as construction companies and city vehicle fleets, could benefit from the same theft prevention strategy. Simply putting up notifications that GPS trackers are installed on vehicles may be enough to prompt potential thieves to move along in search of a different target instead of helping themselves to a new ride.

GPS Devices Aid in Thwarting Bicycle Theft