Speaking of shutting up about it, police in Brookline, MA have been using a so-called “bait bike” to catch thieves. The bike is outfitted with a GPS tracker, enabling the police to recover it after it’s stolen, and arrest the thief.

Initially, I thought this was another case where keeping it quiet may be better. However:

Police have also begun handing out stickers to cyclists that say “This Could Be A Bait Bike” and can be placed on their bikes as a deterrent to thieves.

Deterrence like this may well be more effective than catching thieves one at a time, even if it’s not quite so funny.

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