Bend police partner with business to stop bike thefts

(Update: Comments from police, bike mechanic)

The Bend Police Department has partnered with Pine Mountain Sports to help cut down on bike thefts across the city — and it’s working.

The business recently was recognized by Bend police for their service.

The outdoor store has provided funding and bikes to the police, helping them continue the “bait bike” program.

Police Lt. Clint Burleigh said Friday their partnership with local businesses is key to their success in cutting down on bike thefts.

“Having a partner like that, that is willing to put something out on the line so that not just their customers are happy, but the entire bicycle community in Bend or visitors in the bicycle community that come in — that’s a pretty big statement,” Burleigh said. “And they see the big picture of we are all working together to keep the community safe.”

Pine Mountain Sports helped contribute to the sting operation, and a 60 percent drop in bike thefts, compared to the previous year.

Even with thefts decreasing, some still feel they are too frequent.

Haley Ahbart, a bike mechanic at Gear Fix, said she had her bike stolen recently, and now makes certain that her bike is secure overnight in her garage or locked in her backyard.

“It’s picked up — the bike thievery, the bike theft in town,” Ahbart said. “It seems like its getting more frequent, which is disappointing.”

She said she is now even more cautious when she is out and about riding her bike.

“Most bike thieves are opportunists, so if they see something that they can just grab real quick, whether its on a rack or just propped outside the coffee shop, they’ll do it,” Ahbart said.

Bend police recommend that you register your bike on bikeindex.org and take pictures of it, that way if it does get stolen there is a better chance the bike will be recovered.