Police Department Manual (PDP)

Effective: 1/17/1974

Revised: 11/1/2008

PDP 201–02: Crime Prevention—Bicycle Theft

Purpose

To provide information to help reduce bicycle thefts

Sources

ASU Tempe Campus Transportation Code

Policy

Several measures can reduce the opportunity for bicycle theft. Identifying and securing a bicycle and parking it in a conspicuous location significantly reduces the risk of bicycle theft.

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Identifying Bicycles

Bicycle owners should register their bicycles with a local bicycle shop or with the city in which they reside if the service is offered. Members of the community living on campus should contact the ASU Crime Prevention area for more detailed information about bike registration in your area. It is important that you register the bike within the city you are staying as this establishes a location of record that will contain valuable information about your bike in the event it is stolen from campus.

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Securing Bicycles

A bicycle should be secured only to an authorized sturdy and fixed object. A quality “in-bolt” locking device (an in-bolt lock that secures to itself without the use of a padlock and chain) should be considered for locking your property. The lock should be placed through the frame and around the fixed object. Locking a bike to itself is not recommended unless it is also attached to an immobile object. If possible, every attempt to secure the front wheel and back tire to the object should be made. Items that may be easily removed (seats, etc.) should be taken with you.

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Parking Bicycles

To help reduce the risk of theft, bicycles should only be secured to authorized items and within authorized areas. Optimum locations are often established by the university in well-lit and well-traveled areas. Bicycles taken into buildings or locked to wheelchair ramps are subject to impoundment.

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Reporting Theft

Owners of stolen bikes should report the theft to the police department with jurisdiction at the campus where the theft occurred. The ASU Police Department will take reports for the Tempe, West, and Polytechnic campuses. Bikes taken from Downtown Phoenix campus should be reported to the Phoenix Police department; bikes taken from SkySong should be reported to the Scottsdale Police Department. It is during this process that the information provided when you registered your bike will be most helpful to law enforcement.

Procedure

The bicycle owner:

1. registers the bicycle with the local bicycle shop or obtains a license from the city of residence
2. secures the bicycle to a fixed object with an “in-bolt” lock in a well-lit and well-traveled area

   and

3. if the bicycle is stolen, reports the missing bicycle immediately to the ASU Police Department (480/965–3456) or agency of jurisdiction. If the theft is in progress as you approach, dial 911 and tell the call taker the location of the event and all other information requested.

ASU Police Department takes the report, notifies appropriate agencies of the theft, and contacts the victim if the bicycle is recovered.

Cross-Reference

For more information on bicycling on campus, see PDP 207–01, “Tempe Campus Transportation Code.”

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