They're not encouraging shops to even call them at all. The police are assuming dishonesty. They need to stop treating bike shops like we are the guilty party. Frank Male also decries the policy of refusing to check serial numbers over the phone, and believes the SCPD could do more to prevent bike theft. Cops acknowledge more could be done but attribute the lack of theft-prevention programs to limited funds and community apathy.
People are far more concerned with residential theft or violent crimes.
When asked what such a program would look like, Munnerlyn and others have ideas but few successful examples to work from. Most efforts of Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission focus on educating bike owners. A project of Bike Secure, the flier also gives owners the lowdown on registering each bike, knowing its serial number and immediately reporting a theft. Aside from educating bicyclists, there is little agreement about what a successful, proactive solution would look like. Other cities, including Madison, Wisc., and Portland, Ore., have experimented with programs that make free bikes available.