Thread by @owasow

Just went down to the secure garage in our apartment building to attach a new ”bike reflector” that hides an AirTag in case my bike gets stolen. Too late. Despite very heavy duty chain and top-tier lock, my bike was gone. Stunned, angry and a little heartbroken.

Research on LoJack, an anti-theft tracking device for cars, found it had major spillover benefits for communities in that it helped identify chopshops, the central nodes for car theft. Ironically, I’ve been wondering if AirTags might offer similar benefits for cyclists.

Part of what’s so maddening about bike theft is that it’s not just bad luck, it’s also the result of bad policing. Bike theft is pervasive but not taken seriously by law enforcement. If one company, VanMoof, can employ ”bike hunters,” why can’t the police?

Campus safety can run bike stings. Why can’t the police?

https://twitter.com/TheoLandsman/status/1396535796262481931?s=20

As @AsherDeMontreal points out, GPS tech to track bike theft is a decade old. In this wild story, Redondo Beach PD followed one ”bait bike” as multiple people tried steal it in sequence! If the tech is simple, proven & legal, why do police fail to use it? easyreadernews.com/bait-bike-redo…

This hurts a little more as the bike was a gift from my wife & parents. I’d asked them to buy it together and then skip gifts for years. Backstory is I’m moving to LA for new job and bike was a way to embrace the city as a cyclist. So tough break but I’m lucky in many other ways.

.@darthjulian’s story speaks to part of what reformers get right: for many crimes, police today are of little help. Also speaks to limits of some reforms, after victimization we want someone to call for justice or restitution. A better world is possible.

https://twitter.com/darthjulian/status/1396558434699419648