If you’ve lived in Eugene long enough, you’ve probably had your bike stolen. It happens everyday. The alarming figures per capita here are second in the nation to New York City. Two years ago, the lock manufacturer Kryptonite, based in New York City, even paid a special visit to Eugene to investigate the uncanny amount of bike theft in this modestly-sized city.
Certain years, Department of Public Safety has fielded claims for 500 stolen bikes, and that’s only from the student population.
The problem exists in such force because of the raging drug problem in Lane County, namely methamphetamine. Bikes are scrapped and their parts sold. DPS Lt. Herb Horner said that within the last year there was a house just off campus where bike thieves could bring bikes to trade for meth, heroine, cocaine and pot, straight up. Although theft numbers have gone down in recent months, students need to start taking stronger precautions to ensure that their bikes aren’t stolen, contributing to problems like this in close proximity to campus and the surrounding community.
There has been a strong response to the article last week regarding the recent rash of bike thefts in September (“UO bike thieves on the prowl,” ODE, Oct. 4). It seems that students are concerned about bike security on campus, so we have decided to offer some advice. Below are some steps that the Emerald would encourage all students to take in a collective effort to reduce bike theft on campus.
First and foremost, every student with a bike needs to get it registered as soon as possible. Not only will this help you immensely if it’s stolen, but it’s required by the Oregon University System and thus enforceable by DPS. Technically, DPS can issue $20 tickets for bikes that are not registered. In coming months, DPS plans to issue citations for students who refuse to dismount and walk their bikes while traveling under the EMU. In conjunction with these citations, they’ll also be issuing tickets for registration violations.
If your bike is reported stolen by a witness or a thief is caught in the act by DPS, they’ll need the bike’s registration information to corroborate ownership. Without this, in many cases, it is almost impossible to make an arrest. Registering your bike is the most important piece to improving bike security on campus, next to locking correctly.
If you value your bike, you should invest in a strong, new U-lock. When locking it, use common sense. Bike thieves have a crafty range of tools, bolt cutters for example, that can easily chop through cheap, flimsy cable locks. Do not use these types of locks by themselves. Only use them to supplement a ridged U-lock.
Secure your bike to racks only, not signs, posts or trees. If you’re locking up over night, lock your bike in a well-lit, well-traveled area where someone is likely to notice an attempted theft. Needless to say, make sure your bike is actually locked off on the rack, not doubled over two adjacent bars so if can be slid off. Yes, people do make this mistake. Also, if you lock the wheel to the rack, the wheel can be removed and your bike will likely be stolen.
Bottom line: If your bike is ever stolen, you should abandon any hopes of ever getting it back unless you’ve registered it with DPS. That being said, the Emerald strongly encourages DPS to organize more events and opportunities for students to register their bikes easily and conveniently on campus. We applaud the organizers of the “Bike Maintenance” events, which occur periodically outside Lillis and provide registration services.