by Caleb Quimby
Theft can be a commonplace crime on a college campus, and many of which include bicycles, especially here at CMU.
The only thing one can do when a bike is stolen is file a police report and hope for the best. The victim will need to know the serial number if they want any chance of the bike to be found.
If they cannot provide a serial number for the stolen bike there isn’t much that the officers can do. Because there is no way to tell one red Trek bike from another. The serial number is the most important thing to have when a bike is stolen. The easiest way to keep track of bicycle serial numbers is to write them down and bring them to the police department to keep track of.
Bike theft reports take about 5-10 minutes to complete. After that it’s a waiting game to see if anything shows up.
“I will take the time, interview you, talk to you, get as much information as I can,” CMU officer Zach Diaz said. “That way if a bike ever shows up I can say I put in as much effort as I could.”
Last year a total of 167 bikes were stolen in the area surrounding campus. However, in the city during the 2014-15 school year, there were 206 stolen. About 26 percent of Grand Junction bike thefts happen in the college area.
“It’s a target rich environment[…]We try to tell people don’t treat it like you house,” Diaz said. The officer advised against leaving personal belongings lying around or purchasing a cheap bike lock.
It has been advised that the best thing one can do to prevent a bike from getting stolen is to invest in a sturdy lock, instead of buying one that can be cut with a pair of bolt cutters.
“My bike was locked up […] When we were moving to our new house. I went down to grab my bike and it wasn’t there,” student Jordie Smith said.
Bikes can be stolen from anywhere. The best way for someone to prevent losing their ride is to invest in a quality lock, attach the lock to the frame when securing it and always lock it up, even if they are only going to leave it for a few minutes. For more information about bike safety contact CMU campus police officers.
