Securing Your Bicycle
Many people routinely pay upwards of a thousand dollars or more for a bike. Thieves know this and have figured out that stealing bikes and bike parts can be a lucrative business. College campuses are full of expensive bikes. To make matters worse, many students feel that the campus is a safe place and so do not take the needed precautions to secure their bike.
The combination of expensive bikes and a false sense of security makes a college campus one of the first places a bike thief comes "shopping." With a few precautions and some common sense, you can drastically decrease the changes of your bike being stolen.
If you own a bicycle, use a sturdy, good quality U-lock. A cable or chain lock is very vulnerable and easily defeated. The U-lock is sold in most bicycle stores. Most bicycles that are stolen at Pacific are bicycles that have been poorly secured with a poor quality lock and/or have been improperly secured.
Security Tips
Use a U-lock and follow these suggestions to keep your bicycle secure:
- Always lock your bike. Even if you are only running inside a building for a minute. Lock your bike. Thieves are watching and will take your bike if you leave it unlocked.
- Always lock your bike a provided bicycle rack. Do not use lamp posts, deck or stair railings, or other architectureal features. Locking your bike to a rail may be a violation of the fire code and can endanger someone's life.
- When locking your bicycle, lock both wheels and the frame to the bicycle rack.
- Leave as little space as possible inside the U-Lock to minimize the space for thieves to insert their tools.
- Attach your lock with the key mechanism facing the ground.
- Lock components and accessories. Do not leave accessories that can be removed.
- Take your bike seat with you.
- Lock your bike in a well lighted area.
- Don't lock your bike in the same area all the time. A thief may notice a pattern and target your bike.
- Don't lock your bike only to itself, that is, only lock the front wheel to the frame. It is easily carried away.
- Don't position your lock low to the ground. A thief can attack the lock easier and less obviously in that position.
- Double check your lock before leaving your bike to make sure its secured.
Register and Tag Your Bicycle
California Vehicle Code, Division 16.7 and the Stockton Municipal Code Section 10-072.1 require you to license your bicycle. The Department of Public Safety can help you register your bicycle with the Stockton Police Department. The cost is $8.00. We will forward your registration and your check to the Stockton Police Department. Get a registration form from Public Safety.
For an added security measure Public Safety offers Operation Identification. We will help you apply a personal identification number to your bike frame. This is another way law enforcement agencies can identify your bike. For more information, contact Public Safety.
