'Sting' bikes catch cycle thieves (in Cheltenham)

It's always nice to see the police doing something about bike theft:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/5106246.stm

Modified bicycles are being used in Cheltenham by police trying to catch
cycle thieves.

The bikes are left around the town to tempt people, but when they ride
away the would-be thieves discover the bikes can only be ridden slowly.

Anyone tampering with them will be filmed by officers waiting around the
corner and arrested as they try to pedal off at slow speed.

The "sting" bikes have been successfully used in Gloucester.

A police spokesman said the number and type of decoy bikes being used
will not be revealed but they range from old ones to new models and will
frequently be changed.

"We're optimistic they will make a big difference to bike crime in the
area, both in deterring people from trying to steal a bike and enabling
us to catch those who are foolish enough to have a go," said Pc Phil Howes.


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Danny Colyer URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/
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Danny Colyer wrote:
It's always nice to see the police doing something about bike theft:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/5106246.stm

Modified bicycles are being used in Cheltenham by police trying to catch
cycle thieves.

The bikes are left around the town to tempt people, but when they ride
away the would-be thieves discover the bikes can only be ridden slowly.

I think I own a few of those bikes.

Not Responding wrote:
Danny Colyer wrote:
It's always nice to see the police doing something about bike theft:
url:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/5106246.stm

Modified bicycles are being used in Cheltenham by police trying to
catch cycle thieves.

The bikes are left around the town to tempt people, but when they
ride away the would-be thieves discover the bikes can only be ridden
slowly.

I think I own a few of those bikes.

Me too. Or at least when they're changing which bikes are slow, they
occasionally seem to do mine as well.

A

In Camden, three decoy bikes were stolen within one hour of being left.

IIRC they were radio tagged and one led the police to a thief's abode,
where there was a HUGE cache of other stolen goods.

Unsurprisingly the police were well-pleased...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
In Camden, three decoy bikes were stolen within one hour of being left.

IIRC they were radio tagged and one led the police to a thief's abode,
where there was a HUGE cache of other stolen goods.

Unsurprisingly the police were well-pleased...


As this seems likely to work, won't it be found to be a breach of
someone's human rights pretty quickly?

"Squashme" wrote in message
ps.com...

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
In Camden, three decoy bikes were stolen within one hour of being left.

IIRC they were radio tagged and one led the police to a thief's abode,
where there was a HUGE cache of other stolen goods.

Unsurprisingly the police were well-pleased...


As this seems likely to work, won't it be found to be a breach of
someone's human rights pretty quickly?


It does sound like entrappment. Not that I'm in any way opposed to it.

"John" wrote in message
...


It does sound like entrappment. Not that I'm in any way opposed to it.


no different from cops / HMRC making "undercover" purchases of drugs to nick
prolific dealers

if the toerag was being nicked for *just* the "doctored" bike with the
surveillance kit perhaps it could be argued in court that cops used
entrapment but there's still a "mens rea" (intention) to commit the crime by
attempting to steal the bike.

but in cases where it leads to an "Alladins' cave" of stolen goods the cops
can arrest the criminal on suspicion of theft of the *other* items as
well...

I've seen this happen in various other areas. Its a tried, legally tested
and IMO welcome way of dealing with with a growing culture which starts in
youth whereby people think its acceptable to steal bicycles as "its only a
bike" (viz. Tom Crispins school and the BMX being stolen out of the bike
sheds)

Alex
--
Mr R@T / General Lighting
Ipswich, Suffolk, Untied Kingdom
http://www.partyvibe.com

John wrote:
"Squashme" wrote in message
ps.com...

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
In Camden, three decoy bikes were stolen within one hour of being left.

IIRC they were radio tagged and one led the police to a thief's abode,
where there was a HUGE cache of other stolen goods.

Unsurprisingly the police were well-pleased...


As this seems likely to work, won't it be found to be a breach of
someone's human rights pretty quickly?


It does sound like entrappment. Not that I'm in any way opposed to it.

I'm not sure how you define entrappment but I would have though that
the police would have had to offer to do something. If leaving
something on the street is entrappment then the police probably should
not leave police cars parked on the road.

In message om,
Squashme writes

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
In Camden, three decoy bikes were stolen within one hour of being left.

IIRC they were radio tagged and one led the police to a thief's abode,
where there was a HUGE cache of other stolen goods.

Unsurprisingly the police were well-pleased...


As this seems likely to work, won't it be found to be a breach of
someone's human rights pretty quickly?

This thread reminds me of a daydream I sometimes have where a ned hops
on my fixie which I have left unattended for a minute or two. I see him
cycling off and give chase. Said ned, not realising he is on a fixie,
then gets thrown off when he tries to freewheel. Much cheering on my
part.

The daydream then progresses to "ned" suing me for not having warning
signs on the bike that it is fixed wheel and I get done for lack of
care.

Could it happen?
--
Bob Downie
Downie GeoScience Ltd.
please remove #n0spam# to reply directly

"Bob Downie" wrote in message
...

This thread reminds me of a daydream I sometimes have where a ned hops on
my fixie which I have left unattended for a minute or two. I see him
cycling off and give chase. Said ned, not realising he is on a fixie, then
gets thrown off when he tries to freewheel. Much cheering on my part.

I think this has actually *happened* - ISTR someone posting about such an
incident on here which happened when the bike was by a store... The ned
didn't get further than a few metres; the cranks clobbered him on the leg
and he soon fell off. Apparently some guys were watching it on CCTV guys and
were ****ing themselves laughing (its a pity they didn't get the video up on
youtube).


The daydream then progresses to "ned" suing me for not having warning
signs on the bike that it is fixed wheel and I get done for lack of care.

Could it happen?

AFAIK no. You did not even set up the bike to trap people but personalised
it to your individual requirements - any expert witness would be able to
prove this common practice amongst cyclists and not even intended as a trap
for neds.

Alex

--
Mr R@T / General Lighting
Ipswich, Suffolk, Untied Kingdom
http://www.partyvibe.com