The number of on-campus bicycle thefts this fall continues to increase as the reported cases for October more than doubled what it was at this time last year, according to LSU police.
 
There have been 19 reported cases of stolen bicycles as of Oct. 25, which is much more than usual, said Det. Kevin Scott, LSUPD spokesman.
 
While the number typically increases at the beginning of the fall semester, it usually doesn’t remain this high in October, Scott said.
 
“Those numbers are outrageous,” Scott said. “At this late in the semester, we shouldn’t be seeing those numbers.”
 
According to last year’s crime reports from LSUPD, there were eight reported bike thefts in Oct. 2009.
 
The bicycles have been stolen from bike racks across campus, including those located outside the East Campus Apartments, Middleton Library, Pleasant Hall and Atkinson Hall.
 
Scott said bicycle thefts are typically committed by a small number of people.
 
“Normally when we see this type of crime, it’s usually caused by repeat offenders,” Scott said.
 
Scott said a few arrests have already been made this month for stealing bicycles, but the number continues to grow.
 
At the beginning of the month, many of the stolen bicycles were either unlocked or were locked with chains that were easy to cut, Scott said. But the most recent thefts occurred with bicycles secured with steel locks.
 
Scott said another problem is very few people register their bikes with the city.
 
“Out of all the stolen cases this month, none of them have been registered,” he said.
 
Without registering a bike, it  becomes much more difficult to legally prove the bike’s ownership, Scott said.
 
“We’ve recovered between four to six bikes in the past month, but if students don’t have their bikes registered in the system, it’s impossible to legally determine if it’s theirs,” Scott said.
 
Scott said students can register their bikes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at LSUPD.
 
Scott said the department will also be implementing programs to mitigate the problem, but student involvement is crucial.
 
“If you see something suspicious taking place, you should give [LSUPD] a call,” Scott said. “We ask that students be vigilant and observant near bike racks. We can’t be everywhere.”
 
 
 
—-
Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]