Eugene’s bait-bike program hooks thieves

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The Eugene Police Department’s “bait bike” program has led to some recent arrests, but officials say the goal of the program is to plant a seed of doubt in the minds of would-be thieves.

Sgt. Wayne Dorman says police leave the bait bikes equipped with tracking technology in high-crime areas or places where people are likely to leave their bicycles. Police receive an alert when a bike gets moved.

One bait bike was taken twice one night last week. A 22-year-old man was arrested for taking the bike where police initially planted it. Officers then leaned the bike against a bike rack at the public library, and it was allegedly snagged by a 42-year-old man.

Eugene police statistics show the number of reported bike thefts is down significantly from 2015, but it’s unknown if bait bikes have played a role in the drop.

___

Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com