As at most used-bike stores, folks at Dave's and 7th Avenue deny that they encourage bike theft. They cite numerous tales of helping people recover stolen goods, and just as many stories of being victimized by bike thieves themselves. Tom Sullivan of Sullivan's Bike Shop on Seabright Avenue still laments losses he incurred when robbers rammed a truck into his shop and stole several thousand dollars' worth of bikes. Shop owners feel cops are pointing the finger at them when it's police policy that's failing. They won't run serial numbers over the phone.
Police insist used-bike shops bring in each bike in person to check if it's stolen.
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.