A new tracking system initiated by the University of Wisconsin Police Department is aiming to cut down the amount of bicycles stolen on campus.
Bait Bikes,"" launched in May, places GPS equipment on select bicycles around campus.
UWPD Officer John Deering followed University of Toronto Police officers in starting the program at UW-Madison.
""After about a month and a half or so [the GPS devices] were quite successful and were working better than we thought '¦ so we purchased a few more units and have continued since then,"" UWPD Sgt. Jason Whitney said.
According to UWPD, the police can find a stolen bike via the Internet as soon as it is moved. Officers track the bike's path, dispatch to the area and make an arrest.
From January 2007 to May 2008, UWPD received 100 reports of bike theft on campus, and only one person was arrested for such theft during the 2007-'08 school year, according to the UWPD website. Since Aug. 1, 16 arrests have been made using the GPS technology.
""Hopefully we will see a dramatic decrease to the number of bike thefts on campus and with that students can enjoy their transportation in and around campus and the city,"" Whitney said.
University police is encouraging students to pick up ""This could be a Bait Bike"" decoy stickers at the Budget Bike shop or the department's office to help deter potential thefts.
UW-Madison junior Amy Giffin said someone stole her bike last fall from her house porch. Since getting a new one this year she has taken more precautions in guarding it.
""I used to not lock up my bicycle and now I do,"" Giffin said. ""I think the new GPS system is a good idea because even though I registered my bike last year it didn't help with its recovery.""
UW-Madison sophomore Annie Kraemer also had her bike stolen off her porch on Spring Street.
""I think this new program is a great idea '¦ it will help students who rely on their bike to get to class and work,"" she said.
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