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With thefts on the rise, UAPS advises riders to properly secure bikes

As temperatures rise, so do the number of bikes seen on campus. And consequently, so does the number of bike thefts.

Between February 19 until July 3, University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) has had 28 bikes reported stolen. In 2014, there were 68 total bikes stolen between January 5 and November 25, a number “bigger than usual,” UAPS Acting Superintendent Marcel Roth said.

Of the 28 stolen bikes in 2015, 20 of them were reportedly locked with a cable lock. Eight of the 28 used U-shaped locks. In four of those eight instances, the lock was improperly applied.

“Either that means the user locked the U-shaped lock to the front tire, as most bikes are quick-release tires, which means that the frame was stolen and could be paired with a potentially stolen front tire from another bike and voila, they have a full bike,” Roth said.

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Mitch Sorensen

Three of the eight U-locks broken into were either cut or locked to a bike rack that were already damaged. Roth said the culprit might’ve cut through the rack to get through to the bike, or the user didn’t realize the rack was already damaged or broken.

That means just one of the U-locks was defeated and cut, Roth said.

U-locks typically range from $20 to $200, and the difference in price typically correlated with the difference in quality and it’s assumed that the U-lock that was cut was on the lower end of that scale, Roth added.

Some of the higher end U-locks require an “industrial-level” cutter, which isn’t something that burglars or thieves have at their disposal. U-locks are able to be cut, but if thieves see a bicycle secured with a cable lock, they would rather save time and effort and cut the flimsier, easily-cut cable lock instead.

When locking a bike, Roth said it’s essential to secure the frame of the bike. Some individuals wrongly apply the U-lock to the forks of the tire, which “doesn’t do anything” because tires can be easily removed. Roth and UAPS recommend that the U-lock attach to the frame from the front or rear tire, with the other quick release tire move up to the other location so both tires are secure. Another option is using a cable lock with a U-lock to secure front tire.

Bike thefts sometime fall under the same reason why personal property in libraries and on campus get stolen, Roth said. Sometimes users don’t bother locking their bike because they’re just going into a building for a minute or two and don’t want to take a minute or two to properly lock up their bike.

Many of the stolen bikes are lower value, which leads to carelessness by the owners, which results in stolen property, Roth said. Thieves tend to look for crimes of opportunity, such as leaving your belongings on your table or bike unattended and unsecured to make a quick buck at a pawn shop or for convenience, such as a free mode of transportation and alternative to walking.

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