0:00:02 > 0:00:04Thieves will steal our cars,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09our valuables, just about anything they can get their hands on.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12To cut down on crime and anti-social behaviour,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16the police are using new tactics where the bad guys get caught in the act.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19They're launching covert operations.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Pretend you're talking on the phone for a bit longer. OK, mate.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27- And setting clever traps... - The laptop he's stealing is equipped with a tracking device.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32..that deliver unsuspecting crooks right into their hands.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34There are also ways that we the public
0:00:34 > 0:00:38and local businesses can fight back with some tricks of our own.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41I weren't going to sit back and let them do this.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43I know what you look like and I know who you are.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We caught you, we're sending you down.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50So anyone who is up to no good had better think twice,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53they might just get caught red handed.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Coming up today on Caught Red Handed - car theft.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06They'd gone through all of my possessions.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10Taken some of my personal things. It was quite sickening actually.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Police cars go undercover to catch crooks in the act.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And also today, a trusted carer
0:01:17 > 0:01:21caught stealing from the lady she looked after for eight years.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And watch how a well-rehearsed trick
0:01:30 > 0:01:34leads to this woman losing her cash card and her money.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Last year in England and Wales,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46a car was broken into every two minutes.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49But some of those thieves had a nasty surprise.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53That's because they fell into a police trap.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56If a criminal decides they want to break into a car,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and it happens to be ours, they need to face the consequences for that.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03We're there to put the fear of being caught in their mind.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Is it baited or not? They'll never know.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Until we come knocking on their door, I guess.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Car crime.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21It's not only one of the most common crimes in the UK,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23it's also one of the quickest.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27It can take just four seconds to commit.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Sergeant Simon Williams from West Midlands Police
0:02:31 > 0:02:33is trying to turn the tables on car thieves.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36It can prove to be a really difficult crime to solve
0:02:36 > 0:02:40because traditionally there's not normally any witnesses around.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43CCTV opportunities tend to be limited.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Our offenders these days are becoming more forensically aware.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Simon and his team had to come up with another way to deter this kind of thief.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Traditional methods of investigating the crime
0:02:58 > 0:03:02weren't having as big an impact on reductions and re-offending as we wanted.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05But new improved technology
0:03:05 > 0:03:10means the police can set up operations making use of so-called "capture cars".
0:03:10 > 0:03:15These cars are fitted from pillar to post with small hidden cameras.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You can't see them. And, not to give the game away, we can't show you in detail.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24They often come with attractive accessories for a would-be thief.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Laptop computers, satellite navigation systems,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32expensive pairs of jeans, trainers, Xboxes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Um, you name it, we can put it in there.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40The police place these cars in known streets for vehicle crime
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and wait for them to be broken into.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Most thefts are opportunistic.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51With cars parked everywhere every day and left largely unattended,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53they can be an easy target.
0:03:53 > 0:03:58Sam Smith has particularly suffered at the hands of car criminals.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03I decided to use a secure car park. I thought it would be a bit safer.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Came back a few hours later to find that things were missing.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It was quite sickening actually because
0:04:12 > 0:04:15they'd gone through all of my possessions, taken some of my
0:04:15 > 0:04:17personal things like my jacket
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and my hockey stick, which I was quite fond of.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Um, so, um, it wasn't very nice.
0:04:25 > 0:04:32Sam had to claim on insurance for a whole new door that cost hundreds of pounds and she's still suffering.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Three years on,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I'm still paying about probably £2-300 more
0:04:38 > 0:04:41than my insurance was initially.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Sam now has a new motor.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And has stayed mercifully car-crime free.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52But experiences like hers are the reason West Midlands Police
0:04:52 > 0:04:55have rigged up capture cars. As we saw earlier,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59the traps have been set and immediately the operation starts paying off.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02This unlocked car in Birmingham
0:05:02 > 0:05:05attracts the attention of a group as they walk past.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And this man in a cap seems particularly interested
0:05:11 > 0:05:14in the laptop bag he's seen on the seat.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17After checking the coast is clear,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20he then opens the door with his hand in his sleeve
0:05:20 > 0:05:22and grabs the bag.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26After making sure there's a laptop inside,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and that he's not going away empty handed,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33he then, with the inside of his arm, closes the door behind him.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40But despite his care, he was caught on camera.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42The laptop had a tracking device
0:05:42 > 0:05:45and he was later convicted of theft from a motor vehicle
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and sentenced to eight weeks in custody.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Another part of Birmingham.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Coming up to half-past midnight,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00two hooded men, having found the door left open on this car,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04waste no time in grabbing a satellite navigation system.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Next, they quickly rummaged with gloved hands
0:06:07 > 0:06:09around the rest of the car before scarpering.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16When police see this footage, they certainly don't need directions
0:06:16 > 0:06:19to find the thieves who have taken their sat nav.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24They were identified by police officers who had previous dealings with both males.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Really well known to us.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31And, safe to say, they've been involved in that kind of crime in the past.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36There's something about a sat nav in a car that tempts some individuals to take the wrong path.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Such as this young woman who walks past with a group of lads
0:06:40 > 0:06:42but returns to try the door.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Finding it unlocked, she then bags herself a sat nav.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54But this is another capture car
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and she has just bagged herself a conviction.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03As for this bloke, who has also spotted a capture car unlocked,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07and a sat nav in view, well, he has no idea the trouble
0:07:07 > 0:07:10this six-second theft is going to get him into.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14It's the middle of the day, he's wearing a T-shirt, no gloves, no hat.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16It was really brazen.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Identifying him wasn't an issue at all.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23Simon and the team quickly go to a pub that they know the man frequents.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27We saw him in there and he was trying to sell
0:07:27 > 0:07:30the sat nav to the locals in the pub.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32He saw us, made off out of the pub,
0:07:32 > 0:07:37discarded the sat nav in the middle of the road and made off on foot.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40We had quite a long foot chase with this guy. When we caught him,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45he had controlled drugs on him. So it was a good result, a good arrest all round really.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Capture cars are now being regularly used across the country.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Whether thieves get in through an open door,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55or smash their way in like this man in Nottingham,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57they will all be caught and punished.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Every theft you've seen resulted in the offenders being jailed,...
0:08:04 > 0:08:07..fined or given community orders.
0:08:09 > 0:08:15By spreading this fear, the aim is to make thieves think twice before breaking into any vehicle.
0:08:15 > 0:08:21And in the West Midlands, the use of capture cars has had a noticeable impact.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24We've seen a year-on-year reduction for the last two years
0:08:24 > 0:08:26in this kind of vehicle crime.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29In the last year to date, we've seen a 17% reduction,
0:08:29 > 0:08:34which means there's been 400 fewer victims of this kind of crime. So really successful.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Now a tale of broken trust
0:08:40 > 0:08:45and a callous crime carried out on a helpless victim.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55This kitchen belongs to 79-year-old Joyce.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The lady who has just come into shot
0:08:58 > 0:09:01has been her carer for the last eight years.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05She's about to betray the trust of Joyce and her family.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09I thought she was my friend.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I would've trusted her with my life.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15She was lovely. It's unbelievable.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20She would have, if she was stealing off you.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Joyce is confined to a wheelchair and needs round-the-clock care.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28This is provided by her daughters Linda and Judith
0:09:28 > 0:09:32along with various members of a professional care team.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35My mum's got muscular dystrophy, so obviously
0:09:35 > 0:09:37she's got no muscles really.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40The carers come in twice a day
0:09:40 > 0:09:44and just do things that you would do for yourself really
0:09:44 > 0:09:46because my mum can't do anything.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49They make her tea, move her legs if they're uncomfortable.
0:09:49 > 0:09:55And she doesn't go out, so it's someone else to talk to, isn't it?
0:09:55 > 0:09:57It's just different conversation really.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And this woman in particular was Joyce's favourite.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05They had developed a strong bond that went beyond patient and carer.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- So the family thought. - We trusted her.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10She'd been coming in for nearly nine years.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17Mum loved her. She was really good. I liked her, everybody liked her.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21But Joyce started to realise something was amiss.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I kept saying to my daughters,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I'm sure I should have had more money in my purse than that.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I said, you'll have done this or you'll have done that, you know.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37You'd have paid somebody, the window cleaner or whoever.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39This had been going on for probably nearly a year
0:10:39 > 0:10:43that my mum had kept asking us to count her money.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Joyce is unable to open her purse by herself
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and needs one of her daughters
0:10:49 > 0:10:52or a carer to do it for her.
0:10:52 > 0:10:58One morning, Judith pays particular attention to how much money is in her mum's purse.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01And then checks again after this carer has left.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04There was £20 short.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08I realised that the only person who was going in my purse
0:11:08 > 0:11:13when I had my back turned was the carer.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17It was horrible.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21I felt ill. It was awful. We knew it was her.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23But they need proof.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27The sisters start writing down the exact numbers of the notes
0:11:27 > 0:11:31in their mum's purse before the carer arrives and then what's left after.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35For three weeks it was hell.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38You know, my mum was crying.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40The effects it had on the family.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44We were fighting with my mum because she didn't want to lose her.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49"I can't. What am I going to do? She does everything for me."
0:11:49 > 0:11:53But all the evidence is pointing to the fact that this professional,
0:11:53 > 0:11:57the apple of their mum's eye, could be more of a rotten apple.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02She took £70 in just under three weeks.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I was devastated.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11The family want definite proof that this carer is stealing from Joyce.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15So they call in private help.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I went on the Yellow Pages.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Went through private detectives.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23One jumped out of the page.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28The private detective says he can provide small specialist cameras
0:12:28 > 0:12:31to try and record the carer in the act.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36The family already have a theory as to where and how the thefts are taking place.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41On a morning, my mum sits at the computer in a wheelchair
0:12:41 > 0:12:45with her back to that corner.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49The carer will be washing up, my mum will ask if she can go for some shopping.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53So she'll... The purse is in here.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58The carer will then take out the amount of money that Joyce has asked her for.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And she shows it to her to confirm.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04But the family believe that, while Joyce's back is turned,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07the carer is also helping herself to extra notes.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10But to know for sure, they need to catch it on film.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The detective put a camera in the basket.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19And in the video box over there.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25And this is what the concealed cameras record.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29Joyce is sitting at the computer off camera
0:13:29 > 0:13:31with her back turned to the kitchen.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Joyce asks the carer to get £20 out of her purse
0:13:35 > 0:13:38so that she can go shopping on Joyce's behalf later.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42But the carer takes out two £20 notes.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Leaving the other note on the worktop,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48she goes over to Joyce to show her
0:13:48 > 0:13:51that she has taken one £20 note out only.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The carer knows her deception is safe from discovery.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00Joyce's muscular dystrophy means she can't turn her head around to see what's going on.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06After pocketing both 20s - one for Joyce's shopping, one for herself -
0:14:06 > 0:14:11that carer goes back to her friendly chat with Joyce as if nothing's happened.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14CHATTER
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Unbelievable. - Chatting away to you.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- How easy was it? - I can't believe it.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Even though they suspected as much,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27the carer's actions still came as a shock to the family
0:14:27 > 0:14:31when the detective showed them this footage for the first time.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37Angry. Very... So angry.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41I was really upset.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Because it was the trust.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It blew us apart because we all trusted her.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50I thought, "You'd been doing this for a long time," you know?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54She was like a professional. She knew exactly what she was doing.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59Joyce, in particular, felt the betrayal keenly.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01I couldn't believe it.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It was horrific.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31They took the footage to the police.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34I think she was arrested
0:15:34 > 0:15:38and totally denied it. She didn't do it. No way had she done it.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The police then showed her the video.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45They said if she hadn't had a chair she would have collapsed.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49So, obviously, yeah, you've been caught red handed.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55The only offence they could prove against the deceitful carer
0:15:55 > 0:15:57was the one caught on camera.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02She eventually pleaded guilty to theft by employee and was fined £180
0:16:02 > 0:16:08and had to pay court costs as well as the £20 she stole from Joyce on that day.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11She was also fired by the agency she worked for.
0:16:12 > 0:16:17They say she will never get another job doing this.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20So she was stupid really, wasn't she? The state of work.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22It could have been going on for years.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's something we will never ever know.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Only she knows that.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I hope she's very proud of herself.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Huh. Huh-huh.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33I think she could have apologised.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And that was all it would take.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Linda and Judith took extra care over Joyce's finances after that episode.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And hired new carers to come in to help look after their mother.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50We're happy with what we've got. We've got some nice ones in.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53So, hopefully, that's the end of that.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Still to come today on Caught Red Handed...
0:17:00 > 0:17:04If you saw this man, you'd wonder what on earth he's doing.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08He's actually in the process of tracking down a potential bike thief.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Also today, in Birmingham, this runaway thief thinks he's got away.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21He doesn't realise police eyes in the sky are watching him.
0:17:30 > 0:17:36Next, a pair who did get away using some smooth distraction techniques.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39This woman is about to get robbed.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41As she goes up to use the cash machine,
0:17:41 > 0:17:46the bank's CCTV cameras catch this pair waiting to act.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50We're all told to shield the keypad while putting our numbers in
0:17:50 > 0:17:52but do you do it? Here's why you should.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57This bloke's stood about 12 foot - 4 metres - away but by watching
0:17:57 > 0:18:01the woman's hand movements he's able to work out her number.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06After she types in the amount she wants, the other man moves in.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11He pretends he's doing a banking survey, which distracts the woman for a moment.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16Behind her, his accomplice watches for her bank card to pop out.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21Then he too approaches and she turns towards him and that's when the first man steals her card.
0:18:21 > 0:18:28Because her cash is still there, the woman thinks everything is OK.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31But it was her card not the cash this pair were after.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Within 13 minutes, and before it could be cancelled,
0:18:37 > 0:18:43the stolen card was used to withdraw £650 from two different cashpoints.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48These two are still at large.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53So be warned. If a stranger gets too close to you at a cashpoint
0:18:53 > 0:18:56it could well be a scam.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Now bike theft.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Even the prime minister himself has had two bikes stolen.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08They reckon, in England and Wales alone,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10there is a bike stolen every 15 seconds.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14So sadly, in the time it's taken me to tell you this,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17yep, there goes another one.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Make it as difficult as you can for a thief to steal your bike.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24For example, take the wheel with you, or take the saddle off.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26A thief cannot ride it away.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28As a general rule of thumb,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32I'd advise you spend 10% of the value of the bike securing it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Sussex is one of the top-ten areas in the country for this kind of crime.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47Its town of Hailsham has recently had a spate of bicycle thefts.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- Gary is one of the unlucky ones. - It was about three o'clock in the morning.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55I heard a bang on the gate. I didn't think to look in the garage.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58It wasn't until 3 o'clock the next afternoon, I come in
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and it was gone.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Running a second-hand bike store in town,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Steve Andrews has had more than his fair share of dodgy dealers
0:20:07 > 0:20:10trying to flog their suspicious cycles.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15The lead in one for an undesirable normally is,
0:20:15 > 0:20:17"Got a lovely bike for you, mate."
0:20:17 > 0:20:20The alarm bells start going off straightaway.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25You ask what the bike is, they'll say, "Oh, it's in the motor."
0:20:25 > 0:20:27You go out and have a look at the bike.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31They don't even know what the make or the model of the bike is.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36If you're selling your bike, you've owned it for a certain amount of time, you know what the bike is.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Steve won't touch them and reports it to the police when he can.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44But it's a fact that most owners never see their bikes again.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46People who are hard working manage to buy something
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and then somebody comes along and helps themselves.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I have had people on the phone in tears.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Unfortunately, these people get away with it too often.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59That's why PC Chris Dicker and the police want to apply the brakes
0:20:59 > 0:21:02to a situation that's getting out of control.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06With the increase in bike theft, we set about trying to
0:21:06 > 0:21:09find a different way to catch the people stealing them.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14So they're going to set a trap. They've prepared a bait bike.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17And somewhere on it is a hidden tracking device.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Let's see if we get any takers for it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Next, a plainclothes pedal to find a good spot to leave the bike
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and tempt a thief.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30How about the town centre?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32The library?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Or this pond in the park?
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Recently, people have been stopping off to feed the ducks
0:21:37 > 0:21:41and turning around to find their cycles have disappeared.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46What we'll do is leave it here.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Hopefully, somebody will take the bait.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54Chris hopes this will be the perfect place to catch a cycle crook.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Back at the station,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03it's a waiting game. The tracking device
0:22:03 > 0:22:06sends a signal to a satellite
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and then back down to Chris's computer.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12If the bike moves, it will alert him.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14As you can see,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18that's telling me exactly now where the bike is at this point in time.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's right by the common pond there.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25So, how long do you think this unattended bike will stay here?
0:22:25 > 0:22:28A day? Half a day?
0:22:28 > 0:22:31It takes just two hours to take off.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's moved from the pond.
0:22:33 > 0:22:40It's saying that it's somewhere within this area, the highlighted area here.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42With a tracking device in the saddle,
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Chris can follow every movement of the bike.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Eventually, it comes to a halt.
0:22:47 > 0:22:54It's not moved now for a few minutes. So we'll pop out and see if we can find out where it is.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Ready?
0:22:57 > 0:23:02With his laptop in hand, Chris and some fellow undercover officers set off in hot pursuit.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06It's not far from where we actually deployed it.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10So we're going to go down and see if we can get a better address.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Or even if it's just outside. It may have been dumped.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15We just don't know.
0:23:15 > 0:23:21The satellite tracking system has narrowed down the bike's position to within a mile.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24But it's in a densely packed estate.
0:23:24 > 0:23:29To help pinpoint it, Chris uses an aerial linked to linked to a sensor.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The signal's getting quite strong.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33BEEPING
0:23:33 > 0:23:37I'll have a look. I'll let you know. Just keep that on.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38BEEPING
0:23:41 > 0:23:45They've honed the bike's location to somewhere in these roads.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Now it's a high-tech game
0:23:47 > 0:23:49of hot or cold to pick out the exact address.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58- It's this house. - It's probably inside.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Brilliant.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08There's about three bikes in there.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12Chris can clearly see their bait bike inside.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16With no answer at the door, they get a search warrant from a magistrate.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18I'll show you the warrant.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23They don't need to force the door as a window has conveniently been left open around the back.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27They find their bike in the lounge along with three others.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31The bait bike reunited with its rightful owners.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35The police also take the other three into custody for the time being
0:24:35 > 0:24:37in case they turn out to be stolen.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Police later made contact with the occupant of the house
0:24:44 > 0:24:49who explained that they'd taken the bike inside their home for safekeeping,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52thinking one of the kids on the estate had forgotten they had left it.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57Police found nothing to prove that the other bikes had been stolen.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02They accepted the householder's version of events and did not bring charges.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Even though in this case there was no conviction,
0:25:05 > 0:25:11bait operations like this have proven to be very successful nationwide.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13We know from experience
0:25:13 > 0:25:17that once we are introducing capture operations into a locality
0:25:17 > 0:25:21criminals get to know about it and crime vastly reduces.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28BLEEP BEEP WHIRR
0:25:28 > 0:25:31The long arm of the law stretches high in the sky too
0:25:31 > 0:25:35with airborne specialist surveillance technology.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Last year, the West Midlands Police helicopter
0:25:38 > 0:25:41played a key role in over 500 arrests
0:25:41 > 0:25:45by tracking suspects with powerful surveillance and infrared technology
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and directing police on the ground.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56In Coventry, the West Midlands helicopter
0:25:56 > 0:25:58is trailing a suspected mugger.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03'We've got a male matching the description on an orange bike
0:26:03 > 0:26:07'with about five or six other males on bikes.'
0:26:07 > 0:26:13A member of the public has called in to say this man on the orange bike mugged him earlier.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19And the orange bike itself matches the description of one that was stolen a few weeks ago.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23'He'd been subjected to a knife-point robbery by this male who's been identified.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:26'He'd gone back, seen him and called us.'
0:26:26 > 0:26:30The suspect is aware of the police helicopter but maybe,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33because it's so far away, he doesn't seem too bothered.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'He's got his hood up, he's got goggles on,
0:26:35 > 0:26:38'it looks like he's got some sort of face mask on.'
0:26:38 > 0:26:43'He's trying to hide his face, although he's not making an effort to get away from the area.'
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'He's just going around the tracks along with about ten other bikes.'
0:26:47 > 0:26:52Or maybe the suspect thinks he's safe because he's on rough terrain.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55What he doesn't realise is the helicopter
0:26:55 > 0:26:58is talking to two officers on the ground who are riding
0:26:58 > 0:27:02high-spec police scrambler bikes and moving in on his position.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06'There's a footpath that should lead you through to the wood.'
0:27:06 > 0:27:08'On the other side of the wood, there's an open area,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11'you probably know it, where all the bikes are.'
0:27:11 > 0:27:14So the suspect gets a bit of a shock
0:27:14 > 0:27:16when he sees the police riders enter the field
0:27:16 > 0:27:18and attempt to block his path.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21He tries briefly to get away.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24But then, looking at their powerful bikes,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27realises the game is up and comes to a halt.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Trapped, he has nowhere to go.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38The off-road coppers detain him until two more officers arrive to take him into custody.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48That's it for today. Join us next time when the police and the public
0:27:48 > 0:27:50catch more criminals red handed.
0:27:52 > 0:27:58Since making the film about Joyce Lowden, we've had sad news that Joyce has passed away.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Her daughters Judith and Linda wanted the film still to be shown.