Police warn bike owners of potential thefts
Bicycles are a hot commodity for thieves on campus and the Central Michigan University Police Department is warning bike owners to take precautions.
Roughly 50 to 60 bicycles are stolen on campus every year, said Lt. Cameron Wassman. Most stolen bikes were neither locked nor registered with CMUPD.
Wassman suggested students should purchase a U-shaped lock, known as a U-Lock, to prevent thieves from stealing their bicycles.
“Lots of times you’ll get people that lock them, and they use some cheap cable that you can damn near cut with a pair of scissors — literally," Wassman said.
U-Locks are heavy-duty locks made entirely out of metal that range from $2 to $75. They can be purchased at any retail store or bicycle shop.
Wassman also suggested students should register their bicycles with CMUPD.
“We’ll go through and find bikes that have been tossed here and tossed there, and sure enough, a lot of them we recover end up being these stolen bicycles,” he said. “If we’re able to match (the bike) with the registration, we can get it back to the person it belongs to.”
Registration is free of cost. Owners must know their bike’s brand name, serial number, color and type.
Students can register their bicycles at cmich.edu/fas/police, or in person by going to the CMUPD police station located behind the School of Engineering and Technology building.
