Buffalo police want thieves to know that even the theft of a bicycle is something they take seriously.

In a six-hour period stretching from Sunday into early Monday, three suspected bike thieves were arrested in two separate incidents, according to Dennis J. Richards, chief of detectives.

“Fortunately for the bike owners in both of these instances, they witnessed the thefts and contacted the police,” Richards said.

At 6:30 p. m. Sunday, the first theft occurred in the 2300 block of Bailey Avenue. A 16-year-old was spotted taking a purple mountain bike after the owner had gone inside a store, police said. The bike’s owner immediately flagged down Northeast District officers, who tracked down the suspect a short time later on Navel Avenue and charged him with petit larceny.

At about 12:30 a. m. Monday, a 65- year-old man called police to say his bicycle had been stolen in the 1200 block of East Delavan Avenue. After receiving the call, Northeast District police had the man ride with them in hopes of finding his bike.

The tactic, Richards said, worked when the owner spotted two individuals riding his bike in the 100 block of Courtland Avenue. Tremayne Brooks, 17, and Jason Johnson, 19, both of Buffalo, were charged with criminal possession of stolen property.