CUPD encourages students to register bikes
This summer saw a relatively low number of bicycle thefts compared to the record high in August of last year, according to CU Police officer Tim McGraw.
The 62 bicycle thefts reported last August, which occurred mostly during the daytime, left students and the CU Police Department anxious to prevent a repeat this summer.
“We take it very seriously,” McGraw said.
To help prevent bicycles from being stolen, McGraw recommends students register their bicycle at the new CU Bicycle Station, located east of the UMC. He said this successful registration program helps deter bicycle thieves and makes it possible for the CUPD to return a stolen bike to its owner.
Amy Kuo, a senior environmental studies major, said two of her bicycles have already been stolen, and although she just bought a new one, she is still paying loans on a previously stolen bicycle.
“I am definitely taking precautions now,” Kuo said. Her bicycle is registered with CU and she uses a combination-cord lock.
McGraw said the CUPD is able to return stolen bicycles roughly 12 to 20 percent of the time if they are registered. For bicycles that are not registered, they eventually become the property of the police department and are sold.
Other students on campus are not concerned about their bicycles being stolen, nor do they plan to register them.
“(My bike) is cheap, and if someone really wants to steal it, they can have it,” sophomore business major Nathan Riehl said. Riehl never plans to register his bicycle with CU but uses a U-lock to secure his bicycle.
Officer Tim McGraw offers the following tips for students to prevent bicycle theft:
1) Register your bicycle.
– The tag on your bike may act as a deterrent to bike thieves.
– If your bike is stolen and recovered, registration allows CU police to find you and return your bike.
2) Make sure your bicycle is locked, preferably with two locks.
– A U-Lock and multi-strength lock will prevent a bicycle thief because they often are only able to break one of the two locks.
3) Be aware of suspicious characters around bike racks.
– Call the CUPD if you see a suspicious character or witness a bicycle theft.
– Last August, several bike thieves were caught because a student altered the police.
