Salt Lake City police use bait bicycles to catch theft suspects in the act , part II

 

Salt Lake City police use bait bicycles to catch theft suspects in the act

 

Yet Another Craigslist Sting

Stop me if you've heard this one before ...

http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/10/stolen-1200-bike-found-on-craigslist.php

Stolen $1200 Bike Found On Craigslist

A theft victim whose bicycle was stolen at San Francisco's Pier 39 earlier this month found his $1,200 bike on Craigslist and led police to the man trying to sell it on Friday evening, a police captain said today.
The 27-year-old San Jose resident reported his bike stolen on Oct. 23. Days later, the man saw the bike listed for sale on the classified ads website and arranged to purchase it, according to police.
After agreeing to meet at the suspect's home ... the man called police, and plainclothes officers accompanied him to the meeting at about 7 p.m. Friday, said police Capt. Denis O'Leary of the department's Park Station.
Officers detained the 25-year-old man trying to sell the bike. The man told police that he had bought the bike himself on Craigslist two days earlier and didn't know that it was stolen, O'Leary said

Portland Police Boost Craigslist 'Stings' For Stolen Goods

You must watch this - GREAT coverage of the huge problem Craigslist is causing, and the response by
Portland police to the problem

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/portland-police-conduct-craigslist-stings-stolen-goods/story?id=14817160

SF voting on safe biking storage

Glad to see SF following in NY's footsteps -- from "Curbing bicycle thefts in San Francisco"

Curbing bicycle thefts in San Francisco

By: Joshua Sabatini | 09/21/11 4:00 AM
Examiner Staff Writer

Commuting to work in downtown San Francisco on a bike has its drawbacks — figuring out where to lock it up, and risking whether it will be stolen or vandalized.

As bicycling becomes more popular, so does the importance of bike accommodations.
As soon as January, San Francisco’s downtown business owners could be required to allow employees to bring their bicycles into offices, or provide secure storage onsite or within 750 feet of a building. 
“This is actually really important in a number of ways,” said Supervisor John Avalos, who introduced legislation Tuesday that would enact the requirement in January. “Often, cyclists will go downtown with their bikes and will not have a space to secure them, will lock them up on the streets, clogging up some of our sidewalk space and making them less accessible.”
The law also is meant to reduce bike thefts.
“We also have a bike theft problem — it happens every day,” Avalos said. “I’ve had one bike stolen here in San Francisco. This is something that is a critical problem for a lot of cyclists.”
Ken Cleaveland, director of public affairs for the Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco, which represents the interests of downtown building owners, said the group is open to the proposal.

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2011/09/curbing-bicycle-thefts-san-francisco#ixzz1YcpVbHmd

Same story, round 2: Portland bicycle thefts on the rise

Props to BikePortland.org's Jonathan Maus as always:

"Self-Destructing Bike Lock Gives Thieves the Ultimate Disincentive"

From Wired.com: Self-Destructing Bike Lock Gives Thieves the Ultimate Disincentive

The StayLocked secures the bike by making the lock part of the bike. If it’s broken, the bike is unridable and, parts aside, valueless. Andrew Leinonen, a Toronto-based industrial designer and cyclist, created the prototype bike after years of the security anxiety that comes with being an urban rider.


....


The locking mechanism comprises a section of the seatstays — the two tubes that extend up to the seat from the rear wheel. Leinonen installed a universal joint at the junction of the tube and latches in the stays to secure it to the frame.


The locking section of the frame swings to secure your bike to a meter, post. Should an ignorant criminal break the lock, the chain stays — those tubes extending from the rear wheel to the crank — won’t support a rider’s weight. The bike will collapse as the thief tries to ride off with the plunder. Unfortunately, whether the culprit realizes the destruction before or after breaking the lock, all parties are left without a bike.