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Bait bike puts the brakes on thief

A bike thief who thought he’d scored a smooth new ride had his plans abruptly halted by the owners of the bike he’d just stolen – the police.
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Surveillance footage captures a bike thief in the act at West Vancouver's Park Royal. photo supplied West Vancouver Police Department.

A bike thief who thought he’d scored a smooth new ride had his plans abruptly halted by the owners of the bike he’d just stolen – the police.

And North Vancouver RCMP are warning would-be thieves that bait bikes are ready to help police put the brakes on other attempts at stealing.

In the recent case, a man was observed cutting the lock on a bait bike that had been purposefully left by police at a local shopping centre Nov. 10.

But the thief was easily tracked by a GPS system built into the bait bike and within minutes, bicycle squad officers quickly lapped the perpetrator.

Cpl. Richard De Jong, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, said bike theft is a continuing problem on the North Shore. So far this year, there have been 239 bicycles stolen in North Vancouver.

Thieves will target “any bike that appears to be insecure,” said De Jong. Some are high-end mountain bikes valued at up to $10,000. Others are bikes thieves hope to sell to “chop shops” for parts.

If bikes are left in a public place, often, bike thieves will case an area to see if anyone is watching. Even locking up your bike doesn’t guarantee it will be there when you return as bolt cutters are generally small enough to hide inside a jacket, said De Jong.

Police recommend using more than one lock to secure a bike – locking the tires to the frame as well as to an immovable object, for instance. Removing the seat is also a smart plan, he said.

“You want to slow them down,” said De Jong.

A Vancouver man, Cameron Charles Ormiston, 37, has been charged with theft and possession of break-in tools in connection with the bait bike heist. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in North Vancouver provincial court Dec. 2.