Because of warmer weather, more students will be riding bikes on campus, which means the chance for bike theft increases.
In the spring and fall, more bikes are reported stolen on campus. During the weekends, people are probably more prone to having bikes stolen because more people are out and about, said Lt. Richard Russell of the Ohio University Police Department.
So far this quarter three bikes have been reported stolen. In 2002 11 bikes were stolen during fall quarter and 10 during the spring. This past fall quarter 14 bikes were reported stolen.
The number stolen stays pretty consistent but overall has decreased after the university started installing more bike racks two years ago, Russell said.
The majority of bike theft is the result of students not locking up their bikes. A lesser quality lock also can be cut or pulled open, he said.
Josh Yaskoff, a mechanic at Cycle Path, 104 W. Union St., said students need to buy good quality locks with guarantees and lock up their bikes properly.
There are two types of bike locks: u-locks, which are stronger, and cable locks, which are lighter, easier to carry and wrap through the bike, he said.
Many bikes have tires with a quick release, which makes it easy for thieves to steal the tires.
Yaskoff said bike riders should take off their front tire, move it next to the back and put the lock through both tires and the frame of the bike. Riders also can buy a seat or wheel tether, which connects each one to the lock without having to move them.
Russell said there are probably as many parts stolen from bikes as reported bike thefts.
One way Ohio University police work to keep theft down is by encouraging students to register their bikes. They can fill out a card and put a sticker on the bike that will help track it down if it is stolen, he said.
Only a small percentage of students register their bikes, and many do not know their serial number. Many bikes look alike, which makes it harder to recover stolen bikes without this information, Russell said.
From Sept. 1, 2002, to April 13, 2004, 48 bikes were reported stolen on campus - 26 of which were from residence halls - but only five were recovered. The average value for the stolen bikes was about $100 and during those 19 months the loss was $10,534, according to OUPD records.
But Russel said more bikes might have been recovered because some students will not report to police if they have found the bikes themselves.
OU junior Chris Graham said he had his bike stolen from his house on Stewart Street at the beginning of the school year.
He did not have it registered, but it was locked up when he left and missing when he returned. He never reported it to the police, he said.
I was like 'oh well
whatever.' I never figured (the police) would be able to do anything Graham said, adding the bike was not worth much.
Bike theft is a first-degree misdemeanor. The maximum penalty is six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. If the bike is worth less than $500, the fine is lower. Usually the fine would be about $500 with restitution and probation, Russell said.
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Bikes have been reported stolen during the last few weeks around campus. Students can prevent their bikes from being stolen by using bike racks, such as these under Brown Hall.
