Cardboard officer cuts crime at Mass. subway stop

  

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- The burly officer watching over the bike racks at a Boston-area transportation hub is a real stiff.

As part of an effort to cut crime at the Alewife MBTA subway and bus station in Cambridge, transit police placed a cardboard cutout of a police officer in the bicycle cage. Hundreds of people use the racks daily.

Deputy Chief Robert Lenehan says the fake cop, along with video cameras and a new lock, has cut bike thefts by 67 percent.

It's also a money saver. Lenehan estimates it would cost $200,000 a year to have an officer watch over the cage full-time.

The cutout is actually a picture of real MBTA Officer David Silen.

Silen says the split second thieves take to glance at the cutout is enough to discourage them.

Take ABC13 with you!
Download our free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices

Get more Bizarre »

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•