The North Bay Police Service has launched a new ‘bait bike’ program.
The initiative was started before the snow started to fly to deter bike thefts and catch offenders in the act.
“Bikes are and will be strategically deployed throughout the city. Our bikes can be tracked, and if you’re caught taking one, you will be arrested and charged accordingly,” says Jeff Warner, Inspector of Operations. “Despite the initiative being launched later than anticipated, we immediately saw results with the bait bike being stolen and one person being charged with Theft and Breach of Probation.”
Warner says bike thefts happen year-round and this initiative will be ongoing throughout the year.
He says this might cause offenders to think twice about taking a bike, not knowing if the police are tracking their actions.
Police say over 100 bikes have been reported stolen so far in North Bay in 2023.
