TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Property theft is the crime reported most often on the University of Arizona campus.
And many of those reports are bike thefts; every day there are hundreds of bikes parked on campus.
The university’s ‘Bait Bike’ program means any one of them could be a trap for a would-be thief.
“If you are here to take a bike and commit a crime, we’re watching,” UAPD Sgt. Andrew Valenzuela told KGUN.
He says there’s been some version of the program in place for the roughly 20 years he’s been with the department.
It involves bikes locked up around campus that don’t belong to students, under surveillance.
This year there’s been a renewed partnership between UAPD and the university’s Parking & Transportation Department, as well as new tracking technology on the ‘bait bikes.’
“Somebody tries to steal a bicycle, then, we have a way to track it and connect with UAPD so that they can respond,” said Diana Moreno, Asst. Director of Transportation Programs at UArizona.
“We’ll just say that there’s technology installed in a way that will assist us,” Valenzuela said. “We don’t tell the community how many bait bikes there are. But we have been telling the community, together with our partnership with Parking and Transportation, that they are out there. There are signs strategically placed throughout campus.”
From the beginning of the fall semester through November, UAPD saw 133 reported bike thefts.
Moreno is more aware of the problem now than when she was a student at UArizona.
“I didn’t notice it was an issue,” she said. “But now it’s more apparent, obviously, because I work with that on a daily basis.”
Bait bikes are just one way to combat bike theft.
“The harder that you can make any piece of property to steal, the less likely that it is to happen,” Valenzuela said.
He recommends properly locking bikes to racks, incorporating both frames and wheels. He says even removing wheels and seats, if possible, can deter others from stealing them.
UArizona’s Parking and Transportation also offers other free options, including bike valets, bike lockers and a new nationwide registry that tracks serial numbers. The department also hands out free bike locks, helmets and lights.
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Ryan Fish is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9 and comes to the Sonoran Desert from California’s Central Coast after working as a reporter, sports anchor and weather forecaster in Santa Barbara. Ryan grew up in the Chicago suburbs, frequently visiting family in Tucson. Share your story ideas and important issues with Ryan by emailing ryan.fish@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
