NCJ Number
78970
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A special unit 'Spokes' for control of bike thefts in Muenster and North Rhine Westphalia generally is described.
Abstract
The unit was formed in 1975 because of the high number of bike thefts (4,353 in 1975) and the low clearance rate (4.34 percent). The four members of the unit dress in civilian clothing, drive unmarked cars, and are equipped with cameras. Bike thefts are frequent because the bikes are not properly secured by their owners, and because there are many bikes in the region on account of circumstances favorable to bike use. Offenders are typically juveniles under 16 years old, vagrants, drug addicts, or certain types of adult offenders. About 50 percent of the stolen bikes are found; others turn up in the dump or are chopped up for use as parts. Bike crimes are difficult to solve because thefts are hard to prove and owners usually do not know the bike frame numbers or exactly what the stolen bikes look like. To overcome the latter problems, bike owners have been made aware of the problems through publicity efforts and have been given the opportunity to register their bikes in a computerized system. Control measures include biannual checks of all bikes in certain city areas, patrols searching for bikes with special markings or evidence of force, unannounced spot checks of bikes at temporary check points, inspection of school yards, and stake-outs of stolen bikes spotted at high-risk locations. Some improvement in bike theft clearance rates has been observed.