About Bike Theft > DAC Get Smart Quick > DAC Principles
Concealment & Disguise

Decoy, or target concealment, involves hiding an object in some kind of container or enclosure, or behind a barrier; or alternatively, disguising it to look like something less valuable than it really is.

A concealment technique used by London’s cycle couriers is that of taping the bike frame up with black electrical tape so that would-be thieves can’t easily see the make and model and condition of the frame. The tape hides factory decals and makes bikes look more generic increasing the difficulty of identifying valuable makes and model of bike. An additional benefit is that the frame is protected.

An example of the decoy technique is the application of ‘fake scratch’ decals onto the bike frame to make it appear less desirable.