By Deborah Ziff
Wisconsin State Journal

Attention, bike thieves.

In a new program on the UW-Madison campus, university police are planting Global Positioning System satellite units on bikes to catch thieves in action.

This summer, police have arrested 16 people through the program.

Here’s how it works: Officers conceal a small GPS unit on a bike, strategically planted somewhere on campus. If someone moves the bike, police can use the system to track it and radio to an officer to make an arrest.

Budget Bicycle is providing the bicycles for the program, which are switched frequently so as not to arouse suspicions among professional bike thieves, police said.

UW-Madison police are planning to expand the program this fall. They plan to distribute materials telling students about the program next week when many of them are moving in and out of apartments, including stickers that read: “This might be a bait bike.”

“The biggest part of the program is to deter theft, not to make arrests,” said Lt. Peter Ystenes.

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