The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/30/97 Section: Undefined Section

Contributing Writer Tim Lindblom, a graduate stu- dent, has had two bicycles stolen from campus since he's been attending the University. One bike was chained up outside, and the other was stolen just a few weeks ago from his office. "I've just had to learn to keep my bicycle in the office and keep the door locked," he said. With an increasing number of bikes on campus, the concern over bike theft prevention is growing among students. "You're OK during the day," Lindblom said. "It's the night and the week- ends you have to be worried about." Police say the problem is spread out through the school year. "Bicycle theft hasn't been a problem so far this year," said Sgt. Grant Johnson of the University Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit. "It's a problem when people don't use the proper kind of locks, when they leave their bicycles unlocked, and some- times when they don't identify them." Johnson said bicycle thieves will often stake out a bike for a few hours or even a few days to see if it moves. "Keep a watch on your bike and don't leave it one place for a long time," Johnson recommended. Charles Fortner, a sophomore from Bremen, had his bike stolen from a tree in front of Lipscomb Hall at the beginning of the quar- ter. Fortner's advice to avoid theft is to use a U-type lock instead of chaining it up. U-type locks, which Johnson said are one of the best ways of protecting your bike, are placed around the frame of the bike. If possible, the front wheel should also be removed and attached to the lock. Johnson said students shouldn't lock bikes to the inside of railings, stairwells or a handi- cap access because they will be removed by the police. "The four-number combination chain locks are not recommended because they are very easy to undo," Johnson said. In an effort to help reduce theft, University Police have started a program called Operation Identification. Easily stolen valuables that don't have serial numbers, such as some bikes or cameras, are marked so they can be identified if ever stolen. "All bicycles usually have a serial number on the bicycle," Johnson said. "We try to get peo- ple when they come here and bring their bicycles to register them."

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