Actually, I think it's probably supposed to be as much a deterrent to theft as a means to capture the thieves. I can't imagine that bike thieves get much more than a slap on the wrist anyway. This way they don't even really need to put tracking systems on bait bikes, they just put out word that that's what they did and thieves become afraid that they're going to steal one of them. Of course, I hope that's not the case.