Santa Cruz police catch suspected bike thief during sting operation

A homeless man was arrested in Santa Cruz after a sting operation targeting bike thieves.

Santa Cruz Police said the department’s Neighborhood Enforcement Team placed a bait bike in the 800 block of Pacific Avenue on Saturday, January 21 st . A suspected thief took the bike and it was later recovered in the 200 block of Church Street.

Police caught 26-year-old Christopher Harless with the stolen bike. He was taken into custody.

According to police, bicycle theft is an ongoing issue in Santa Cruz and the department is committed to combating the crime. The Neighborhood Enforcement Team will be conducting similar operations on an ongoing basis.

The department is encouraging residents to secure their bicycles at all time and invest in U-style locks.

Police are also urging residents to register their bikes through SCPD’s online bicycle registration program so officers are able to reunite owners with their stolen bicycles.

Police said they recover hundreds of bikes, but many of them are not registered by serial number and they have no way to track down the owners.

Residents can register their bikes for free at the police department or online. Click here for the link.