Bicycle thefts have become an all too common occurrence at the Santa Rosa Junior College specifically in and around the Santa Rosa Campus. The SRJC District Police Department is taking steps to educate the community on how to prevent bicycle thefts.
It has been found that in the vast majority of bicycle thefts, bicycles were either improperly locked, or locked with inadequate locking devices such as lightweight cables or chains or low-quality U-lock devices. SRJC bicycle riders most frequently tend to utilize cable style locks to secure their bicycles to the fixed racks. This method of security is strongly discouraged as cable locks are quickly cut by opportunistic thieves, regardless of the cables thickness. Bike riders are strongly encouraged to utilize a high quality U-lock style device to secure the bicycle frame to the bicycle racks.
Additionally, bicycle parts including seats and “quick release” wheels are in big demand and thieves are well equipped and well organized to take advantage of parts that are not properly secured.
There are numerous bicycle racks strategically located around campus that are available to the campus community for safe bike storage during all hours of the day. These bicycle racks are generally in well lit, populated areas but thefts still often occur. The SRJC also has several bicycle storage lockers strategically placed around campus. These offer bicycle riders an alternative to simply locking their bicycles to a rack. Storage lockers are easily accessible and charge only about five cents per hour for daily use. Prepaid cards are available at http://www.bikelink.org/.
The following links offer our community members a map showing the location of bicycle racks and bicycle lockers on the Santa Rosa Junior College properties.
http://www.santarosa.edu/map/campusMap.pdf
http://www.santarosa.edu/map/petaluma/petaluma.html
MAKE YOUR BICYCLE DIFFICULT TO STEAL!
• Always lock your bicycle through its frame and both wheels to an approved bicycle parking rack, preferably one with a thick frame.
• Lock all free parts of the bicycle as well or take them with you.
• If you lock only the front wheel to the bike lock you may return to find your bike gone and only that wheel remaining.
• Leave your bicycle in a visible, well-lit area and if possible avoid leaving your bike locked overnight.
DOCUMENT THE MAKE, MODEL AND SERIAL NUMBER OF YOUR BICYCLE
Your bicycle should have a serial number assigned to it, and is generally located on the underside of the frame, beneath the crank shaft for the pedals.
• Be sure to document your bicycle’s serial number and keep it in a location where you can access the number in the event your bicycle is stolen.
• You should also know the make (brand), model, style (cruiser, road bike, mountain bike, etc.) and how many speeds the bike has.
• Take pictures of your bicycle and maintain them on your cell phone. In the event your bicycle is stolen you can provide a picture to the officer taking the report so other officers can search the area it was stolen from.
This information is critical for police to be able to track the serial number in the event a stolen bicycle is recovered. Often, bicycles are recovered by police but the serial numbers were never entered in to report so there is no way of identifying the owner of the bicycle.
REPORTING THEFTS
If your bicycle is stolen on campus you should report the crime immediately to the SRJC District Police (707)527-1000. Police officers will document all reports of bicycle thefts and follow up on any potential leads.
As a reminder and general courtesy to the entire SRJC community, bicycling to school is free and a great alternative to student parking. Students who ride bicycles must obey District rules and only ride bicycles on proper roadways and always obeying the rules of the road. You should walk your bicycle on pedestrian paths to avoid conflicts with pedestrians. Bicycles must only be locked to designated racks or lockers at all times when unattended on any of the SRJC campuses.
