The University Police Department has seen an increase in the theft of bicycles, electric scooters and electric bicycles on and around Grounds in the first weeks of the fall semester. UPD Sergeant Beckett Thelen said that an increase in these types of thefts is typical for the start of the fall semester, but that the number of thefts has increased by an unusually large amount — between 30 and 35 percent — as compared to this time last year.
As the academic year continues, Thelen said it is still too early to tell if these thefts will decrease on their own. UPD urges students to register their bicycle or scooter with them, which can be done through a form on their website. Thelen noted that while having a lock is not completely preventative, using multiple locks and putting a cover over the item can help make property more challenging to steal.
Thelen said that recent thefts have targeted not only bicycles and scooters that have been left unlocked, but ones that are locked properly as well, with locks being tampered with or destroyed. According to Thelen, these thefts have occurred across all of Grounds, but the UPD has seen a higher concentration in the area near Treehouse Drive and the Alderman Road dorms.
Class of 2024 alumnus Anirudh Krishnan said he had his locked scooter stolen from outside his off campus apartment in July. He said that he found the thefts especially concerning because bicycles and scooters are important modes of transportation for many students at the University, and that he was surprised his scooter was stolen despite being locked.
“It's confusing — who would have gone through that much effort just to [steal a scooter]?” Krishnan said. “Overall I am very concerned, and also disappointed that there are people who just do this kind of stuff. Very disappointed and very confused.”
With the number of scooters and bicycles having increased when students returned to Grounds at the start of the semester, there is more opportunity for theft of these items. Thelen noted that because they are typically parked outside, bicycles and scooters are more exposed to theft than personal items left unattended indoors, such as a laptop in a university library.
“As far as the theft of [bicycles and scooters] goes, it really comes down to the accessibility of them,” Thelen said. “They're not in buildings, they're not behind locked doors. They are left unattended for sometimes weeks, sometimes as little as a couple of hours … and so the accessibility of them in public spaces is what makes them attractive to steal.”
Thelen suggested that students customize their property with stickers or decorations to make it identifiable, and said that students could even put a tracking device on their property to help with recovery.
“It's unfortunate to say, but if you make your property less attractive to stealing than someone else's, you're less likely to be victimized,” Thelen said. “It is never your fault if you are the victim of a crime, but there are things you can do to help deter criminal acts against your property.”
Thelen also shared steps students can take to help with recovery of their bicycles and scooters, including taking pictures of these items from all angles and recording their make, model and serial number. Doing so helps UPD return stolen items to students when these items are found, according to Thelen.
Despite the recent increase of these thefts, third-year Engineering student Dan O’Connor said he hasn’t had any problems with his bicycle being tampered with and is not concerned about his own property being stolen, partially because he has a tracker on it.
“I park my bike [on Grounds] every day [and haven’t had an issue].” O’Connor said. “One of my friends… advised me to potentially get a stronger lock, and I thought it was unnecessary … I'm not particularly concerned about my bike getting stolen from where I park it on Grounds, but if it does get stolen, I do have a tracker on it.”
Thelen said that UPD is thoroughly investigating this uptick in scooter and bicycle theft, and that he hopes it will be possible to reduce the number of these crimes as the academic year continues.
“We take these things seriously.” Thelen said. “We investigate them from start to finish and do whatever we can, because it's not fair — you're coming to get an education — and then someone's stealing [your property].”
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