It’s being made easier for Belgian police to use decoy bikes to attract potential thieves' attention and entrap them. After a change in the law the decoy bikes are already being rolled out in Ghent.
Ghent Mayor Matthias De Clercq (Flemish liberal/Open VLD) says decoy bikes are an important means to cut bike theft: “We want to track down the culprits and prosecute them!”
Like in many Flemish cities bike theft is a perennial problem. Last year 3,000 thefts or eight a day were reported. The actual number is believed to be much higher because many people fail to alert the police.
In order to facilitate the use of decoy bikes the government even had to change the law. That has now happened.
What does a decoy bike look like?
Decoy bikes look like ordinary bikes with a bike lock parked in the city. But there is a difference: they are equipped with a tracking device. When a bike is stolen, the police are immediately notified via a mobile phone app. Using GPS tracking data a police patrol can be at the scene in minutes and catch the thief red handed.
“We can nab the culprits and prevent further thefts” explains Mayor De Clercq. “Earlier experience showed that decoy bikes are a very effective way of combating bike theft”.
Decoy bikes everywhere soon
Justice minister Van Tigchelt (Flemish liberal) says arrangements have been made with public prosecutors: “They can offer culprits amicable settlements that amount to hefty fines. When gangs are concerned it’s up to public prosecutors. In East Flanders there is a commitment to clamp down harder on bike theft. Summary justice is an option or an examining magistrate can be put on the case".
Until now and the recent law change police have only been able to use decoy bikes in investigations into organised crime e.g. to arrest international gangs. Special permission from prosecutors was required. Today the decoy bikes can also be used to catch individual thieves.
Ghent is the first city to adopt the practice. For obvious reasons the location of decoy bikes isn’t being divulged. Various types of decoy bike will be used. The city authorities acknowledge the decoys won’t eradicate bike theft and are emphasising the need to lock bikes properly, to register them and report thefts.
Similar projects are also afoot in Brussels, Antwerp and Kortrijk. The device can also be used in rural areas.