Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr.: Reason to believe ... Family Fest offers back-to-school giveaway ... Ticket Availabity ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Reason to believe ... Family Fest offers back-to-school giveaway ... Ticket Availabity ... OUR VIEW Our View: Don't take the bait DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Aug. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> An Ashland resident who wound up on the wrong side of the law for what he says was a good deed may not agree, but the city's "bait bike" program is effective and should continue. Ashland police, concerned by the large number of bicycle thefts in this bike-oriented town, started leaving decoy cycles around town, unlocked but armed with a GPS device. When someone moves the bike, police are alerted and respond, catching the thief in the act. Since the program launched in 2013, the number of reported bike thefts has dropped, even as the number of "bait bike" thefts and resulting arrests increased. That indicates it's working. So far this year, 22 people have been arrested with bait bikes, up from 16 in all of 2014. Marco Antonio Alvarez-Carreon was walking home at 3 a.m. this May when he happened on an unlocked bike near the Southern Oregon University campus. He says he took the bike to protect it from thieves, with the intent of turning it over to police. Police say he admitted he took it to get home faster. We're not taking sides, but we disagree with Alvarez-Carreon's criticism that a felony charge is unreasonable. The bait bikes are worth $1,500 — $1,000 is the threshold for felony theft — but it's not unusual for a bike to cost several times that much. A felony charge gets a defendant's attention, even if it ends up reduced, as Alvarez-Carreon's was. The moral: Don't take the bait; call the police. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Aug. 19, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501