While bicycle theft is not an immense concern on campus, newinformation about bike locks could make the issue a little moreworrisome.
According to the Associated Press, the common Kryptonite U-lockbicycle lock can be opened with a ball point pen.
LSUPD Maj. Mark Shaw said bike theft always is an issue oncampus.
“We have found that good quality bike locks are a good deterrentfor theft,” Shaw said.
Shaw said there is a law that requires a bike to be registeredin Baton Rouge. When someone buys a bike, it is automaticallyregistered with the city, he said.
Shaw said there is a law in New Orleans that is in compliancewith Baton Rouge’s law, so if a customer purchases a bicycle there,it is registered here.
“Those laws are good because they provide a ready source ofinformation on your bike,” Shaw said. “If your bike is found, itcan be traced back to you.”
Shaw said LSUPD encourages students to use good bike locks toprevent theft.
They also pick up unattended bicycles between the summer andfall semesters.
Students who use U-locks on their bikes have mixed concernsabout the lock’s safety.
Scott Marler, a political communication senior, has a KryptoniteU-lock on his bike.
“I spent the extra $15 on this lock because I thought it wassafer,” Marler said.
He said he is not worried about bike theft becoming more commonon campus because he has had his lock for awhile now, and nothinghas happened to his bike in the past.
Kevin Phillips, an English professor, said he is worried abouthis bike being stolen, and thinks bike theft is an issue oncampus.
“I might get a different lock for my bike if this becomes abigger issue,” Phillips said.
Wes Post, a communication studies senior, does not use a U-lockfor his bike.
“Even if I owned that type of lock I wouldn’t be concerned,”Post said.
Post said he does not think bike theft is a major concern oncampus because students probably would not try to steal a bike infront of so many people.
Brian Matherne, a biological sciences sophomore, does not use aU-lock either, and said he had his bike stolen on campus lastyear.
Matherne said he had a cable lock that was cut through with apair of scissors.
“The cops recommended that I get a U-lock,” he said. “I thinkthese are safer because they can’t be cut through like the cablelocks can.”
Praveen Chinthala Cheruvu, an engineering science graduateassistant, also recently had his bike stolen on campus.
Chinthala Cheruvu said he was thinking about buying a U-lock forhis new bike, but since he heard about how easy it is to break intothem, he is not going to buy one anymore.
Shaw said any information about stolen bikes on campus can bedirected to LSUPD.
Common locks can increase bike theft
October 4, 2004