The initiative, which has been funded by the University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University, sees security teams working closely with the police using their own CCTV systems to help officers identify the thieves who target the bikes.
Walsh was captured on CCTV stealing the bike and it was subsequently recovered on Back Ecclesburn Street and he was arrested.
Enquiries revealed he had been stealing bikes and taking them to an address in Meanwood to strip parts from them and change their identities before selling them on for cash.
He was charged with two offences of theft of pedal cycle and admitted six further offences for the court to take into consideration.
He appeared before magistrates in Leeds today and was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work as part of a 12-month community order. He was also ordered to pay £600 compensation to the owners of the bikes.
The Division’s capture bikes were in action again on Tuesday night (18/1) leading to the arrests of four men on suspicion of theft, handling stolen goods, and drugs offences. It followed the theft of a capture bike from Leeds Metropolitan University’s main campus. Three of the men have now been charged to appear at court and one has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Detective Inspector Neil Thompson, of North West Leeds Division, said: “Walsh’s conviction and these latest arrests illustrate just how valuable the capture bikes are proving in helping us to target thieves who think the university campuses will be an easy target for them.
“We hope this latest success will send out a clear deterrent message to thieves that the risk of getting caught is higher than ever. It should also serve as a warning to people to make sure their bikes are properly secured with high quality locks whenever they leave them.”
The capture bike initiative was set up after the universities’ campuses were identified as being the hardest hit areas for bike theft with more than a quarter of the 530 bicycles stolen in the Division over 12 months being taken from in and around these sites.
The use of the capture bikes has seen a significant drop in the number of bike theft offences on the campuses.
Meanwhile, North West Leeds Division’s ongoing capture house initiative has seen a youth charged with burglary and due to appear at court.
The 15-year-old, from Woodhouse, was arrested after a police capture house was broken into in Woodhouse in the early hours of Sunday (16/1).
The ongoing use of captures houses and capture cars across north-west Leeds is part-funded by Leeds City Council’s local area committees.
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