The Traveler

Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Gentry Lassiter Junior Bennett Ponder locks his bike to a bike rack near the Business Administration building. There have been a number of bike thefts within recent weeks, and UA Police Department officials said the best way to prevent theft is to lock bikes to racks rather than handrails or benches.

Two bicycles were stolen on campus last week and the number of bikes taken this year grew to 11, said a spokesman for the UA Police Department.

A student reported someone stole his bike from a bike rack outside the ceramic studio on Eastern Avenue, authorities said. The theft was reported at 4:30 last Wednesday evening, but was likely to have occurred Monday night, a UAPD official said.

The other theft occurred Wednesday night between the Business Administration building and Kimpel Hall, UAPD officials said. The victim reported his bike missing from the sidewalk railing between the two buildings.

Since fall 2005, 21 bikes have been stolen on campus, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer. Three bikes were stolen in 2005 and seven were stolen last year, he said.

The bike stolen at the ceramic studio was estimated to be worth $130, while the bike stolen from between the Business Administration building and Kimpel Hall was estimated to be worth $400, Crain said.

Because each bike was worth less than $500, both of the crimes were considered misdemeanors, he said. The police have no leads on either of the thefts, he said. Even though they occurred in short succession of one another, the police have no indication that the thefts are connected, Crain said.

Both bicycles were reported to be chained to objects when they were stolen, Crain said. While bikes can be stolen even if they are locked up, the quality of the lock makes a great deal of difference, he said. Some chains are easily torn apart and do not offer much protection, Crain said.

"Those who bring their bikes to campus should make sure to go to professional bike shops to learn about which lock is the most secure," Crain said.

Students should chain their bikes to a bike rack, not a sidewalk railing, Crain said. Bikes chained away from a rack tend to be isolated and more open to theft, he said.

Also, bike owners should check on their bike regularly and look at the conditions of the locks on the other bikes of a bike rack before deciding to park there, he said.

If a chain looks as though someone has tried to cut it, then perhaps it is not the safest place to leave the bike. Even taking all these precautions, there is no guarantee that a theft will not occur, he said.

If someone's bike is stolen, the police will ask for a description of the bike and its serial number, Crain said. Having these will allow the police to track the bike if it is pawned.

The UAPD maintains a registry of bikes on campus, he said. To get on the registry, bike owners need to give the bike's serial number, a photograph of the bike and their contact information to the UAPD, Crain said. The owner's information will be entered into a crime database so that if the bike is found in another part of the state, the police will know to whom it belongs, he said.

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