Lock it up and pray

Picture this -- you leave your bike locked securely to a handrail in front of your class. After hours of dreary lectures, you hurry down to where you've left your most prized possession, only to realize that it's gone. That's right -- your bike has been stolen.

Since the beginning of the semester, approximately 20 bikes have been stolen from various parts of the campus, according to police records.

All of the two-wheeled vehicles have been locked with some type of bike lock to handrails and bike racks.

"Many students leave their bikes locked overnight, and when they come back to get them they are gone," said Sgt. Amalia Borja of the University Police Department.

Jorge Ramirez, a junior majoring in La Raza studies, had his bike stolen the first day of school, after attending classes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Once he realized his bike was stolen, Ramirez immediately contacted the UPD, who began searching for evidence.

With no witnesses to the crime, Ramirez was at a loss.

"My bike was the only way I got to school, and it was relatively brand new, "said Ramirez. "I had it locked securely, and now it's gone and I may never get it back again."

The UPD said they have been working diligently to find the missing bikes and to find a suspect.

According to Sgt. Borja, students must take certain precautions in order to insure the safety of their bikes. Locking bikes with a U-shaped type lock low to the ground is one way to keep your bike from being stolen, she said.

Another is to get the serial number of your bike, so that in case it is stolen it can be located.

"One way to stop bike thefts is, if a student sees anything suspicious they should call the police," said Sgt. Borja. "We are helping students the best that we can to find their bikes at this time."

Ramirez disagrees, and thinks that the university police are not doing enough about the thefts.

"When my bike was stolen the UPD gave me the runaround, acting as if the fact that my $200 bike was gone was no big deal, "said Ramirez.

The UPD is advising bike owners to take various precautions to insure the safety of their bikes.

An investigation is still taking place at this time, and the UPD did not want to comment about any leads.

[ Golden Gater Online October 5, 1995 ]

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