CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — On Wednesday, Cambridge police arrested a man with a power tool who was allegedly involved in a bicycle theft in Cambridge.
According to Cambridge Police Department, there has been a five to six percent uptick in overall crime in the city, mostly to property, including the theft of packages and bicycles.
CPD said the suspected bike thief was found in possession of a power tool when he was taken into custody on Wednesday night. Police believe he is responsible for a number of recent bike thefts in the area.
On Monday, Cambridge officers also identified a possible suspect who they said was "stopped near three bikes, two of which were partially dismantled and another that was reported stolen." The stolen bicycle was returned to its owner.
Most bike thefts in Cambridge are reportedly occurring in the lower half of the city, and CPD said Cambridgeport is the most targeted part of the city so far this year.
Cambridge Police Department's Director of Communication, Jeremy Warnick, said the rise in bike crime may be due to bicycle shops being low on stock.
"They aren't available in a lot of these stores," Warnick told WBZ NewsRadio. "They're difficult to buy, they're not available on the shelves, and that may be one of the causes driving this increase."
CPD said bicycle thefts in the city were up 21 percent in June compared to May. Bicycle thefts are also up 12 percent in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas reports:
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