Several students’ bicycles have been stolen this year
OCU police received reports of the thefts, but without serial numbers, they rarely have the ability to find the missing bikes.
“Seven bikes and one seat have been stolen since January 2015,” Lieutenant Michael Kavenius said. “Most of the thefts happen in August, right when school begins. These statistics are similar to previous years and other universities.”
Last year, 10 bicycles, one seat and two tires were stolen. Four bikes last year and two this year were found when the police caught someone riding a bike that matched the owner’s description. However, none of the students recorded their bike’s serial number, Kavenius said.
Kavenius recommends that students write down their bike’s serial number because he can enter the numbers in the National Crime Incident Database. If thief brings the bike into a pawn shop, the shop’s employee checks the database to see if the item is listed as missing.
One student had two different bikes stolen.
“I was so sad to see that another one of my bikes had been stolen, and in the same area,” said Adrienne Pierce, acting sophomore. “I don’t understand why our campus doesn’t invest in security cameras for the inside and outside of our buildings.”
Kavenius encourages students to make it as difficult as possible for someone to steal their bikes. Though it might be inconvenient to lock them up, remove the front tire and chain the bike frame, or run a chain through the tires, it will be worth it, Kavenius said. “No one would cut through three chains.”
Students have also reported recent auto burglaries, where cell phones, computers, a GPS, and other easily concealable items were stolen. None of these items have been found.
“None of the auto burglaries reported a forced entry, which means the owners probably did not lock their cars,” Kavenius said. “Students should always lock their cars and either take valuable items with them or hide them well.”
Leave a Reply