Students weigh in on protecting wheels on campus.
The return of students to the University of Tulsa also means the return of bikes and scooters zipping from one end of campus to the other. However, this comes with an unintended side effect: thieves take advantage of poorly locked possessions stored at bike racks. New students unfamiliar with the history of theft on campus may be especially vulnerable to these opportunists, but veteran students have proactive tips on storing property safely.
Sophomore Andrew Altman was a victim of bike theft early in his freshman year. He shared that his bike was likely stolen after thieves cut his cable lock overnight. “It was stolen on a Friday night. I had a lot of things going on, and I left it in front of McFarlin.” He searched for it the next morning, to no avail. Altman described initially “running all around campus looking for it,” before shock set in. “I was surprised. I thought it couldn’t have been stolen.” Later efforts to recover it were fruitless, and eventually he downgraded to an older bike less likely to be taken and resold.
In hindsight, Altman reasoned that he was likely a target because he “had a nice bike and a bad lock”. He recommends storing property indoors overnight if possible. While riding bikes and scooters in dorm hallways is prohibited, campus housing accommodates storage inside rooms. This option is especially favorable for extended leaves, such as winter break, when thieves will otherwise take advantage of reduced campus activity.
When keeping property outdoors, especially overnight, using the right type of lock is critical. While cables are a popular lock option, they can easily be cut, as in Altman’s case. U-locks, on the other hand, are the standard for proper bike storage.
Similar U-lock options exist for electric scooters. The frame between the handlebars and deck is the best place to secure the lock to the rack. Some models also come with security features embedded into the scooter’s hardware, such as alarms and GPS tracking. A quality lock is the cornerstone of securing property, but additional features are great for peace of mind. Sophomore Luc-André Prieur du Perray agrees, “This is where bikes get stolen, so U-locks are a minimum.” As an inexpensive upgrade to his security, he also arms it with an alarm to deter prospective thieves. The motion sensor he installed detects when the bike is moved, part of a set-up he installed for “less than 10 dollars.”
Prieur du Perray’s bike with a U-lock attached. Ava Fix
Prieur du Perray became more active in protective measures to secure his new bike after his first was stolen last year, despite being locked with a cable. Although another student witnessed the incident, his efforts to recover the scooter eventually failed. While Prieur du Perray recommends following up with the campus security immediately after realizing that property is missing, he remains pessimistic about the odds of retrieving his bicycle. Still, following up as quickly as possible with the campus security and the Tulsa Police Department (TPD) is the best course of action. While the TPD handles stolen property, the campus security officers should be the starting point for guidance in the process. To help with paperwork, keep information including your property’s make, model and serial number in a convenient location. These details are also essential for registering bikes and scooters with security. Some manufacturers also offer registration, which is based on serial number. While registration may help recover stolen property, it is also required as part of the University of Tulsa’s parking regulations. More information about registration may be found here.
Finally, filing an insurance claim can restore the value of stolen property if it is not recoverable; bikes and scooters may fall under home or property insurance. Even if they are taken from campus instead of the insured place of residence, filing a claim is a potential way to be reimbursed after theft.
Overall, while campus security and local police may wish they could find every stolen bicycle in the swarm populating Tulsa’s pawn shops, preventative measures are the best course of action. Using a proper U-lock or storing bikes in an apartment or dorm is always safest — as Altman says, “protect it in the first place if you can.”
