Some very interesting theories about bike theft on this forum. I'm not particularly swayed by the argument which suggests that so long as there's a market for stolen bikes there will always be stolen bikes. It's a bit like the argument for prostitution which says that as long as there are men willing to pay for it, it will always be there. I think that like stolen bikes, this is blame shifting a little.
If the said prostitute didn't have the 'thing' that these men want, or wasn't prepared to negotiate terms for the use of it, then like the stolen bike, the market would not exist.
Anyway, the title of this thread was 'How to deal with bike thieves'. My suggestion is this.
Take them to a disused aircraft hangar, somewhere in the middle of Essex or Kent miles from anywhere, hang them from a large hook suspended from a beam in the ceiling. Then apply a liberal dosage of a cat of nine tails, each bearing a one inch nail at the end of each 'tail' which has been soaked in battery acid. Repeat the dose until they're cured.
Might appear a little harsh I know, but s*d all else seems to work.
<tongue in cheek>

<\tongue in cheek>