Number of stolen bikes typical, say authorities

By Nicole LaPrade

Campus Safety has seen an increase in bicycle thefts in recent months, but university officials say the numbers aren't out of the ordinary since this type of theft tends to be cyclical.

"There is a rash of them, then we don't get any," Campus Safety Director Charlie Arolla said.

At least four bikes were stolen within one week in January. Campus Safety reported 30 petty thefts in the fall and so far this quarter.

Bryan Sidgreaves, campus safety service manager, estimates that stolen bikes account for between 15 to 20 percent of those petty thefts.

According to Arolla, one of the main reasons for bicycle theft is that many students don't lock their bicycles when leaving them unattended or they use cheaper locks that are easy to break.

More recently, thieves have been breaking or cutting the locks students use.

"If someone stole my bike, I'd be heartbroken," Christina Quattrocchi said.

The junior lives off campus and says her bicycle is her main mode of transportation. She does lock her bicycle on campus, but often finds it easier to just take it with her into the offices where she works.

Lauren Feeney lives on campus and always locks her bike.

"Some of the racks are old, so it's hard to lock it up the right way, but you can figure out a way to lock somehow," the sophomore said.

Arolla said that Campus Safety is in the process of reviewing the locations of existing bicycle racks on campus to ensure visibility.

One way students can protect themselves from bicycle theft is to get their bicycles registered with a license for the state of California.

Having one's bike registered helps authorities return the bike to the owner in the event that a bike is stolen or missing. But being registered does not mean that one should leave their bicycle unlocked when they leave it unattended, Arolla said.

Registration is free and can be done at the fire station on Benton Street. Bicycles registered in Santa Clara receive a serial number, stamp, and decal for identification.

According to Campus Safety, theft in campus parking lots, particularly the Leavey lot, has significantly declined in the last six months after the installation of signs notifying people that the lots are monitored by video cameras.

The cameras have been in campus parking lots for over a year.

Santa Clara is slowly increasing the number of cameras across campus. These cameras will help campus safety officers to monitor different areas around campus even before response is necessary.

Regardless of the drop in break-ins, Arolla recommends that students continue to lock their cars and make sure valuables are not left in plain sight.

"Unfortunately thieves don't care about the conditions of people's cars," he said.

Arolla has found that thieves are more likely to break car windows now rather than popping locks as in the past.

* Contact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or nlaprade@scu.edu.