Theft Increases

By Robert Wear

Bike theft is on the rise at Santa Clara, with 17 bikes stolen since August, and Campus Safety is taking action.

Campus Safety officers want students to learn how to properly protect their bikes. Therefore, Campus Safety, in conjunction with the Cycling Club, is hosting a Bike Safety and Security Fair & Lock Swap on Nov. 9 at the Benson Memorial Center in front of the bookstore.

They will be selling u-locks made by On Guard, which have been found to be the strongest and most secure. If you bring in any other lock, especially cable locks, they will take $10 off the already discounted $20 locks, which are sold every day at the Campus Safety office.

In addition to discounted u-locks, a brand new, fixed speed bicycle and raffle tickets will be given away. The Cycling Club will be offering to do free minor repairs for any bike, including topping off tires, resetting handlebars, and any other small repair you need.

Cable locks accounted for 15 of the 17 bikes stolen, while the other two had u-locks. One of these U-Locks was found open on the ground with no signs of force and the victim didn't remember locking it. The other was taken with the bike because it was not secured to a rack.

But getting a new lock isn't the only thing you need to protect your bike. Being active is equally as important.

"You guys need to be aware," said Phil Livak, Watch Commander of Campus Safety. "When people are walking around texting and somebody is messing with a lock, they should call Campus Safety."

Campus Safety has been working towards a solution. Since the beginning of this quarter, they have apprehended five bike thieves that were in the process of stealing a bike. The dispatch officer saw some of these would-be thieves on camera, and alert officers on patrol caught the others.

Even with the most alert officers and best locks, completely eliminating bike theft is impossible.
As Livak pointed out, "For every five bike thieves that go to jail, there are five more out there waiting to take their place."

There is no surefire way to prevent bike theft, but if you properly lock your bike and stay alert, chances are you can avoid getting your bike stolen.

Contact Robert Wear at rwear@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4948.