'Bait Bikes' Help Police Track Down Thieves, Keep CU Campus Safe
BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Bike theft is the number one campus crime at the University of Colorado Boulder and campus police are using their very own bikes to catch the thieves. According to the CU Boulder Police Department, "bait bikes" have led to arrests that make campus safer for student property, and more importantly, students.
"These are not just misdemeanor arrests, they generally turn into felony arrests," said CU Boulder Police Cmdr. Tom Matlock.
Matlock said the department has been using bait bikes on and off for a few years, but they've recently revamped their wheels.
CU Boulder Police's new fleet of bait bikes are now more enticing to criminals. The only thing that sets them apart from other bikes on campus is a GPS tracker that's impossible to see.
"We take a bike, we put an electronic sensor in it, and were able to track that bike if somebody steals it. There's no difference between what a bait bike would look like and a normal bike," explained Matlock, "We got better bikes, newer bikes, and it really has been effective."
Last week, CU Boulder Police had the same bait bike stolen twice in 24 hours.
"We arrested one gentleman, took the bait bike back out to the bike rack, and another person stole it," said Matlock.
In both arrests, the suspects will face more charges than theft.
The bait bike tracker first led police to Kyle Thomas Shea, who had three warrants out for his arrest. The same bait bike later led them to Christopher Michael Randall, who also had multiple warrants, drugs and burglary tools in his possession.
CU Boulder Police said their bait bikes have not led to the arrest of any CU students.
"Now we're able to see the causation between the bikes and drugs and other crimes that may occur," said Matlock, "This helps us ensure our public is safe by trying to prevent crimes before they happen."
Matlock says CU Boulder Police has been able to recover many stolen bikes, but they cannot return the bikes if they're not registered. CU students can register their bikes online.
In addition to securing bikes with a U-lock, Matlock also suggests that students take a picture of their bike's serial number to keep for their records.
