News Editor
The number of bike thefts on campus is at an all-time high and grows every single day. This week campus security is giving students an opportunity to protect their belongings. Police are holding bike registrations on campus all week that will not only increase the chances of getting stolen bikes back, but will also discourage future theft.
“I know that I have heard of nine thefts so far this year,” Campus Security Assistant Chester Manalo said. “More and more happen everyday. It’s a lack of people locking them.”
Students can visit the campus security office any time throughout the week to pick up a form and register their bike with CMU’s campus police. Bikes will then be entered into a system that will make them easy to identify.
“They give the description of the bike and the serial number of the bike,” Manalo said. “What this will do is if the bike does get stolen and someone tries to pawn it or something, they will enter the serial number into a database and it will cross-reference.”
Registration is free. Students who live on or off campus are welcome to come fill out the form. Having a system that directly links a bike to its owner will hopefully discourage future thefts.
“There is a number that is branded on there,” Manalo said. “It’s stamped on the bike somewhere and not a lot of people know about it.”
Like a car, each bike has a serial number that is often located under the pedals on the frame. Even if the color of the bike got altered, it still can be identified.
“We can also promote the fact that bikes are being stolen,” Manalo said. “When people come to register their bike we can remind them to keep an eye out for other peoples’ bikes. There are only 22 of us CSA’s and only three that work everyday versus the whole community.”
A number of students who have had their bikes stolen have no hope of getting them back. Charlie Blackmer’s bike was stolen from her home close to campus.
“It was not locked up, quite stupidly,” Blackmer said. “Two of my good friends, both of whom formerly worked at Brown’s Cycles had custom built it for me. For whatever reason that day, I thought I was in too much of a hurry to lock it up. I was heartbroken.”
Junior Trace Wolner recently lost his bike and if he gets a new one will register it right away.
“It’s a great idea,” Wolner said. “I wish it came up before mine was taken, but I’m sure it will keep a lot of my friends bikes from being forever lost. If we act like a community and call people out when they are stealing, it will really benefit the entire campus.
cheykoop@mavs.coloradomesa.edu
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