THE GREAT BICYCLE CHASE

Norm Hinderliter
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read

THE GREAT BICYCLE CHASE

For reasons I will, never, understand, it seems that, while bicycle owners, in my city, were embracing the concept, of electronic tagging, of bicycles, the problem was our local, theft, rings.

The theft rings were so accustomed, to stealing bicycles, and never having to return the property, that some had grown lax enough that they no-longer cared about locks.

The theft rings also thought they were “protected” by the fact that most department stores had responded, to my “Call for Action”, by posting notices, which stated “In order to keep prices affordable, for our customers, the bikes, this store sells are NOT electronically tagged.

Tagging is available, from local, pet, stores.”

While I would be the FIRST, in my community, to “tag” a bicycle, it seems my recent publicity had lead several groups to consider my property “off limits”.

The problem was that the theft rings never expected the number, of ADDITIONAL bicycle owners, who began “tagging” their bikes, as well.

This, new, tagging, process made life more difficult, on local police, who were required to re-assign officers, when the next wave, of thefts began.

Now, instead of the police just taking statements, then filing these away, the police were left in the most UN-comfortable position, of having to “chase” “tagged” bicycles, to the very shops, where thieves were preparing to modify the bikes.

The problem the thieves, now, faced was the problem that, instead of weeks, or months, to “dispose” of stolen property, the thieves had only HOURS, before electronic tags lead police to thieves front doors.

This process not only lead to the closing, of seven, theft, rings, by the arrest, of up to 45 parents, for whom stolen bikes had been “gifts”, for children, who wanted bikes.

An additional change, which the police had not been prepared for, was the fact that, when bikes were seized, in this round of raids, the bikes were not “set back”, to await collection, by owners.

This time, the impound yard looked more like a drive thru. Each bike was identified, by its tag, and the owner contacted, to collect their property.

It was when local thieves realized that the “tagging” process was no “fad”, that thieves switched from theft, to slicing tires. It seems that our local theives were determined that “If I cant steal your property, I am going to make you PAY, to keep YOUR property.”

The problem, with this, was that, in too many cases, either vandals were not aware of the presense, of camera’s, or the thieves just did not CARE.

What IS known is that, after the courts began aggressively chasing thieves, vandals began filling up the courts, as well.

While local bicycle shops began offering “tagging”, on all bicycle purchases, department stores were, slightly slower, to follow the trend. This, as department store management informed the media that, “The more we attach, to our products, the MORE we must charge, for our products”.

Then came the day, of the city’s final police department, bicycle, auction (of UN-claimed property).

Atleast two, and, maybe five, bicycle shops, had sales people, on hand, at the auction. Not to buy bicycles, but to offer purchasers “electronic tags”, for their purchases.

Within a year, of project inception, my city became known as the “Safest place, in the state, to own a bicycle.”

To the annoyance, of our city council, as ever more bikes were being “tagged”, and thieves were arrested, within hours, of thefts, first our county, then most of the state, began engaging in the “tagged bike program”.

Bicycle “chop shops” would be compelled to close operations, due to the overwhelming risk, of bikes being “tagged”. No shop was FAST enough, to “chop” a stolen bicycle, before the police were knocking at their doors.

As for the parents, who purchased stolen bicycles, for children, when parents were arrested, “deals” were made, for reduced sentences.

Parents sold out “dealers”, who sold out suppliers. The problem came to a “head”, though, when suppliers began selling out thieves.

The problem, with several thieves, was that the people were covered under “Non-Prosecution” orders. It was alleged that the people were on medications, for mood disorders. Disorders, which manifested, in criminal behavior, when not, properly, medicated.

While the courts let some of these criminals “slide by”, mostly due to the length, of time, between arrests, there were other criminals, whom the courts had enough with.

These were the criminals who smiled, in court, believing that they could commit any crime, at any time, and NOT be prosecuted.

The worst of these, were a handful, of people, who had been in court, so many times, that judges knew the people, on-sight.

When one attorney went to remind a judge, of a “Non-Prosecution” order, the judge had said “Dont bother. The defendant has been before me too many times. They have abused the “Non-Prosecution” order, and this court is prepared to punish them. The sentence will be either ten years, in a secure, mental, facility, or twenty years, in a regular prison. Your choice, counselor.”

To the horror, of mental health advocates, the very people, whom social services were trying to move OUT, of controlled settings, ended up being returned (for obvious reasons).

The problem was not with people forgetting to take medications. The problem was with those, who felt they were beyond prosecution.

The “great bicycle chase” only ended when the media announced that the state was taking over ANOTHER, nursing, home. This one to be converted into a “mandatory treatment center”. A place, where mentally un-balanced people would be returned to the STRICT control, of clinical staff.

To the dismay, of several, state, governments, electronic, bicycle, tagging became just as popular, for bicycles, as LoJak was, for motor vehicles. The days, of mobile thieves, were, slowly, vanishing.