(screen grab from KPTV video report).
KPTV (FOX in Portland) staged a bike theft sting as part of their “Fox 12 Investigators” series.
The video report includes footage of a bike thief in action on SE Powell Blvd and has an interview with a Portlander (Emily O’Connor) who recently lost her beloved steed.
Their are some classic moments from the thief, who was easily chased down after private investigators (hired by FOX) flattened the tires on the bait bike. At first, he tries to tell a lie about why he hopped on the unlocked bike. Then, after investigators found he was carrying a hatchet (yes, a hatchet), he admitted he stole it.
Turns out he’s an addict and needed some cash (no surprise there).
The story also reports that Portland Police say the number of bike thefts are going down. One of the reasons mentioned is because Portlanders personalize their bikes more than in other places — making them easier to identify and track down.
As for the thief, he tells KPTV that he steals bikes to “open up awareness” and that he’s doing a favor to the community by educating folks on what not to do.
Ummm, yeah. Tell that to the judge.
Check out the entertaining video here.
In other bike theft news, stay tuned to the Front Page for an exclusive, sneak peek at the latest efforts by the Portland Police Bureau to recover stolen bikes.