At Western University, over the month of September, there’s already been 19 bike thefts. It’s easy to think it won’t happen to you, when it can, which is why Western and Fanshawe College have campus initiatives set aside for their students.
Western’s Bike Initiatives
In the past, Western would hand out U-locks to students if they registered their bikes. Special Constable Greg Lawson for Western’s Campus Police has confirmed that this was a successful project, but an expensive one so they are in the works in trying to bring it back.
“We also have a registration system where we take down your serial number and all the model information, so if it is stolen on campus we can return it to the original owner if it is recovered by us or the city.” says Constable Lawson.
You need to make sure you have the information and proof to confirm your bike is your own or else it can get messy trying to return. Campus Police are always out patrolling the area and checking out bike racks to make sure they are locked up.
Fanshawe’s Bike Initiatives
Similar to Western, you can also hand in your bike’s serial number to Fanshawe’s Campus Police. Fanshawe has a bike compound on campus, which is a secured fenced in area with a lock that students and staff can purchase. It’s a 20 dollar deposit for the key, which is returned to you when you return your key, and the compound is 10 dollars per semester.
Constable Lisa Johnson for Fanshawe’s Campus Police says, “We have a lot of space available for bikes to be locked up. It’s a frequent occurrence here on campus mostly because bikes aren’t locked up. We ran a project where in three hours we found 98 bikes that weren’t locked up properly, so what we have starting doing is raising more awareness.”
Tips to prevent bike theft:
- It’s worth spending the money on a sturdy U-lock or two. It’s best to lock your frame and the wheel.
- Don’t use cable locks, they are easy for thieves to cut in under two minutes.
- Park your bike in a busy, well-lit area.
- Keep switching up where you lock your bike up.
- Register your bike with the city or campus police services.
- If you have bike accessories get into the habit to taking them off when leaving your bike parked.
- Record the details on your bike, including its brand, model, style, year manufactured and anything else that may help you identify it if it’s stolen.
“Bikes are awesome to have on campus since it’s less pollution, I just want to make sure students are able to keep their property and not become a victim, or a statistic,” says Constable Lawson.
If you see a suspicious person on campus hanging around a bike rack, or know of a missing bike contact the police:
- Fanshawe Campus Security Services, (519) 452-4400, security@fanshawec.ca
- Western Campus Community Police Services, (519) 661-3300
- London Police Service, (519) 661-5670, for emergencies call 9-1-1
