UW-L police using bait bikes with GPS tracking to catch, deter thieves

Police also advise to use cheap bikes 

They’re called bait bikes. A bicycle put on racks by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse police dept. to try and catch bike thieves.

The bikes have GPS units inside them, so police can recover them. In the past, massive numbers have been recovered, according to UW-L detective Chris Schuster.

How many bait bikes will be put throughout campus, Schuster of course wouldn’t say.

“I know it has led to a reduced amount of bike thefts,” he said.

Schuster also had two pieces of advice for riders. First, register your bike with the La Crosse Police Dept. Second, use a U-lock.

“Bike thieves definitely have to work a lot harder to get those things open,” he said.

He did have a third piece of advice: get a cheaper bike that won’t attract the thieves.