“It’s not for sale, Francis”

The Portland State campus is one of the largest hubs of bicycle commuter traffic in the city. This is noteworthy when we consider that Portland ranks number one in the nation for biking to work. Sadly, it also highlights a point of notoriety in our bicycle-loving city—theft.

According to figures provided by the Campus Public Safety Office, there were 38 reported instances of bicycle theft on PSU grounds in 2009. There have already been 34 cases reported so far this year. With three months still remaining on the calendar for 2010, past statistics indicate that we will see continued growth in bike theft on campus.

There are indications that these are largely crimes of opportunity. The number of bike thefts on campus remains steady for much of the fall, winter and early spring, but as the student and faculty presence on campus dwindles, the numbers rise.

“We see the highest number of bike thefts during the summer,” according to Charrie Kafouros, assistant to the director of CPSO, who has also provided the Vanguard with data that indicates this trend has remained constant in recent years.

Further indications that these thefts are opportunistic—and therefore largely preventable—can be found in the locations of the majority of the crimes. While no areas of the campus are immune to the scourge, there are some key locations where one is statistically more likely to become a victim. The highest number of bike thefts overall occur in the less-traveled thoroughfares between some campus halls and faculty buildings. Another area to avoid is Steven Epler Residence hall, where there have already been four thefts in this year to date.

Regardless of where students are leaving their bicycles, Kafouros offers some advice on how students can make them more secure.

“We don’t recommend any particular brand, but we’ve found that the u-style locks work pretty well, since they are hard to cut. We see a great deal of theft involving bikes secured only with a wire or cable lock,” Kafouros said.

There are other measures to curb campus bike theft of which students may not be aware.

“We suggest that students and faculty register their bikes with us at the office of public safety,” Kafouros says. “We also strongly encourage anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it to us.”

Statistics, studies and input from those tasked with investigating bicycle theft all seem to point toward two primary factors in theft prevention. The first is awareness. Simple awareness of surroundings and of the level of traffic in the area can immediately take the opportunity for theft out of the equation. Bikes should not be left unattended for several hours at a time, nor should a bicycle be secured in the same location each day. Habit is on the side of the thief.

The second factor is the quality of the equipment being used to secure the bicycle. The brand that a commuter chooses is far less important than the type of lock. The majority of successful bike thefts involve either the cutting of the lock or the picking of the lock—unsophisticated but successful techniques, which can be circumvented with an equally unsophisticated heavy-duty lock.

Combination locks should be avoided altogether. A keyed lock is much more difficult for a thief to deal with, as lock-cutting will draw more attention than lock-picking. Industry testing has shown that U-locks are much more difficult to cut than cable locks. Heavy chain locks have also been shown to be an effective deterrent. Cable locks can be cut quite easily, and should be avoided as a primary measure of defense. They can, however, be useful as supplementary protection against having quick release wheels removed when the frame is otherwise secure.

With a minimum amount of effort and attention, the commuter can make bike theft on campus a much less attractive prospect. If students do not think of their bicycles’ security, someone else on campus just might.