BICYCLE THEFT PREVENTION

HOW ONE CITY BROUGHT AN END TO BICYCLE THEFT For far too many years, bicycle owners, and their families, had been resigned to pay out as much as $5,000, per year, to replace stolen bicycles, and parts. This was due to the fact that bicycle thieves KNEW, from YEARS, of experience, that local police could not care, LESS, about the theft, of personal property. Thieves KNEW that, all the police did, each time a bicycle was stolen, was to file a memo, stating where, and from whom, the bicycle was stolen. Since a device, known as Lo-Jack, was only available, for motor vehicles, there seemed to be NO local effort, to recover stolen bicycles. That is, until an irate bicycle owner, who had MULTIPLE bicycles stolen, in a single month, dared to challenge "law enforcement", by placing a question on the internet. The question would be: "While it is well-known, that beeper-style tracking devices may be attached, to radios, cell-phones, and laptop computers, and that such devices will emit a "beeping" tone, if mis-placed, I am looking for a device which, instead of "beeping", will display, on a smart-phone screen, for example: "Current location (of tracking device): 809 S. Wiswall Court, Peoria Illinois." When the best response, to this question, was "try a cat/dog tracker" At first, only one, crime, victim, would have this installed, on their bicycle. (Other bicycle owners were skeptical that police would even devote time/effort, to bicycle recovery.) Only after the tracker-equipped bicycle was stolen, twice: Once, as a gift, for a child Second, out of revenge, for parent and child, being arrested, and prosecuted, for the bicycle theft That the local media would post an article, which infuriated the police. It would seem that the theft victim had started a letter-writing campaign, asking local department stores, and bicycle sales shops, to begin selling "tracker-equipped bicycles". While department stores declined the suggestion, even posting signs, on bicycle sales displays, stating "Bicycles are NOT tracker equipped." Followed by the names, of bicycle shops, where bicycle owners could have trackers installed. When the media would ask why the department stores were declining to sell "tracker-equipped" bicycles, the department stores were unanimous in saying "We cannot afford to sell, at discount prices, if we add electronic tracking, to bicycles." When local bicycle shops were interviewed, however, staff would inform the media that "At present, there is a three week wait", due to the fact that bike shops had to wait until trackers were delivered. To the horror, of local police, first one, then fifty, then 250, tracker-equipped bicycles were stolen. Police were compelled to re-assign officers, to retrieve the stolen property. Soon, however, the use, of tracking, resulted in the media reporting that the theft, of bicycles, had decreased, by 85%, even as twelve, seperate, bicycle theft rings were shut-down, with staff arrested. Since state prisons were, already, over-crowded, courts decided to have thieves serve time, using ankle trackers. Ofcourse, this meant that parole officers were required to increase the size, of staffs, to accomodate thieves, who just did not CARE, about the law. Atleast 25 such people were required to be transported to out-of-state prisons. This especially after using very profane language, in court, to inform judges "I dont CARE! If I want a bicycle. I AM taking it." Soon, first a city, then an entire county, then an entire state, would earn the title of "Safest place to own a bicycle." When the plans originator would be questioned, by the media, about the apparent "Racism", of only arresting Negroes, for bicycle theft, the plan originator would re-state the question, more correctly. "It is my belief that these arrests are NOT "racial". It is my belief that, as trackers have been installed, on bicycles, that white thieves "saw the writing, on the wall", and switched, most likely, to snatching purses, wallets, and even jewelry." The remaining thieves, probably, thought they could use "Racial Discrimination", to beat sentencing. This is why these people were on their way, to prison sentences. Eventually, even the department stores "saw the wisdom", of marking bicycle displays as "Each bicycle, in this store, is electronically, tracked". What the city police were, only marginally, happy about, was when stores began providing police departments with lists, of tracker numbers, as well as owners names, and addresses. What this meant was that, instead of victims having to call law enforcement, and PROVIDE tracker information, owners could call police, give names, and addresses, and police could begin tracking stolen bicycles, immediately. Result: The first, of the continental forty-eight states, would make tracking a part of every bicycle sold. Result: Career theives would be required to move on, to other kinds of theft. With Lo-Jack tracking 75% of American cars, and bicycle trackers, tracking just as many bicycles, the life, of criminals, was becoming more difficult, than ever. Ofcourse, bicycle tracking not only all but eliminated bicycle theft, however, on several occassions, where cyclists were injured, trackers would be used to locate the injured, hours faster the injured would, otherwise, be located.