Bicycle thefts increase, universities favorite target
By Tamara Jones
For the OntQcn Dn«V BftWfWfcl
It was only a quick question
you had to ask about vour finan
cial aid, so you hopped off your
bike, threw a U-lock around the
frame and dashed into Oregon
Hall.
When you came out 20 min
utes later, your bike was gone.
Nothing was loft behind, not
even a trace of your lock. For a
moment you stop and think that
maybe you didn't ride your bike
after all.
As you stand in front of the
bike rack da/.ed, the agonizing
reality that your bike was stolen
sets in. Feeling violated, and try
ing to figure out who and why
someone would take YOUR
bike, you start the process of fil
ing police reports, inquiring to
the manufacturer of the U-lock
about being reimbursed for the
failure of its product and trying
to get insurance money.
The above three steps are nei
ther easy nor time efficient. To
file a police report one must
know his or her serial number.
This alone is problematic: many
people don't know it, nor do
they know where it is on their
bike. When you contact the
' manufacturer of your U-lock,
you find that if no remnants of
the lock were left behind, then
there is no way to prove that you
locked your bike with its prod
uct.
If you have insurance on your
bike, the process to get money
for your stolen property takes a
while, not to mention that by the
time you subtract your
deductible, your wallet still suf
fers.
"There is a false sense of secu
rity with U-locks," said Erik Ott.
vice president of Integrated
Cycle Systems. "People often
don't realize that it takes 7 sec
onds to break a U-lock with a tar
jack or pipe.”
ICS manufactures a product
known as B A D. Bones, which
are rod steel braces that slide on
the shackle of the lock. These
devices protect the vulnerable
areas of the lock that can be eas
ily broken with a car jack or
pipe. The National Crime Pre
vention Institute. ICS and the
International Association of
Campus Law Enforcement
Administrators released a sur
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vey recently showing that hike
theft has increased 60 percent
on college campuses since 1069
"A lot of people who do not
understand how to properly
lock their bike become victims
of bike theft." Ott said.
Bicycle thefts total more than
half a billion dollars in lost
property annually. The advent
of mountain bikes has increased
interest in cycling and has
tripled the average cost of the
bicycle This alone has led to an
alarming increase in theft.
About 20 million Americans
use a U-lock. and most of these
users believe that their lock is
invincible. Howover. they are
vulnerable to car jacks and pipes
and recent surveys show that
every 15 seconds a $300 bike is
stolen.
One does not need to live in a
densely populated, urban area to
worry about theft. More and
more rural areas are being tar
geted.
"University areas are especial
ly sought out by thieves," Ott
said. "They leave the city and go
to campuses where they have
hundreds and thousands of
bikes to choose from — many of
them improperly locked."
For Oregon bike-theft victims,
it is not as much U-lock failure
as it is negligence. Bike shop
employees around the state
agree that many victims who
come into shops looking for a
replacement bike are there
because they failed to lock their
bikes. Many victims had their
bikes stolen from their property,
either out of their garage or
backyard.
Tim Birr of the Eugene police
department said that from Janu
ary of this year to the end of
August, 684 bikes were reported
stolen.
"In an average year a greater
loss in terms of dollar value
occurs in bike thefts than bank
robberies in this area," Birr said.
In 1992 the estimated value of
stolen bikes was $479,506, and
robberies only totaled in at
$84,157. Birr's advice for con
cerned bike owners is to "know
your serial number" because
without this, police cannot track
down the owner of confiscated
bikes.
Do not think that there is no
way to prevent your bike from
Safeguarding against campus theft
By SuMnn* Steffens
Of/or< 0**y fmmaxt
The first week of school is over, a week when
thousands of students ran out and bought new
and old bicycles to use as their main source of
transportation.
It was also the week when a number of stu
dents fell victim to bicycle thieves.
Bicycle theft has become the most prevalent
crime on campus. During the 1902-03 school
year. $66,358 worth of bicycles were stolon, and
this new year could easily increase the sum.
The idea of being cautious and aware of the pro
fessional thieves running around campus is
becoming increasingly important, as thieves
can steal a bike within 20 seconds.
Eugene police officer Judy Rodenhuis said
the most sophisticated thieves have learned
how to defeat both cable and U-lock mecha
nisms. It's therefore important to be aware of
better ways of safeguarding a bicycle. Roden
huis suggests several:
1. Always lock the bicycle frame to a fixed
object.
2. Leave the bike in a well-lit area
3. Record the serial number of the bike, and
register the bike at the University Office of Pub
lic Safety.
Rodenhuis further suggests not to keep the
hike outside during the night and said students
living in residence halls should be extremely
cautious, because this area is continually visit
ed by thieves. Taking the bike inside and also
locking it to a secure object is the best way to
prevent the bike from being stolen.
Besides bicycles being stolen, losses from
items stolen inside vehicles amounted to
$43,356 during the 1992-1903 school year, and
most of these losses came from vehicles parked
overnight in lots around campus.
The worst place to park the car both during
the day and the night is the lot on East 15th
Avenue and Moss Street, where cars are broken
into weekly. Rndenhuis said students should
park their cars in a well-lit location and not
leave any valuables in the c ar. Far too often,
expensive stereos are taken, when they could
have been removed or covered by the owner.
For students who don’t own bicycles or cars,
the thieves can still bother them through liack
pack and purse thefts, which seem to be the
most alarming problem for students today.
The thieves can easily sell textbooks from the
backpack and earn a little profit, so Kodonhuis
said students should mark their property with
their name or other identification, and keep the
property secured. Diverting your eyes from your
backpack for a few seconds can bo enough time
for a thief to steal your belongings
being stolen. With a few extra
minutes and knowing how to
correctly use your lock, your
bike can be protected.
The first and most important
measure one can take is to lock
your bike. Tom Lawrence, Phil
Goodrich and Eric Sampson of
Collins’ Cycle Shop recommend
weaving a cable through your
wheels and joining the ends
through the U-shaped part of the
U-lock.
The U-lock itself should be
put around the frame and then
through a bike rack. Be careful
not to put the U-lock through
the front wheel only. Always
lock your bike when it's on your
porch or in your garage and nev
er assume that "it can’t happen
to me."
When you take on an apathet
ic attitude and become lazy
about always locking your bike,
you increase your chances of
becoming the next victim. Bike
theft can bo deterred.
BICYCLE THEFTS IN EUGENE
PREVENTING THEFT
• Always lock the bicycle frame lo a fixed object
• Leave the bike in a well-lit area
• Record the serial number of the bike and register the bike at OPS
JIFF PASiAY T rr^oW
Peace Corps
On UO Campus
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Information Table
Wcd-Thurs, Oct 13-14. IOam-3 pm. EMU
Special Presentations
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Wed. Oct 13, EMU-C'cdar A&B. 12:30-1:30pm
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Thur. Oct 14 EMU-Cedar A&B. 12:30-1:30pm
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an appointment, call Anna Aguilar at 346-6026.
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•Teat date: Saturday. November 13
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