One on-campus robbery, one on-campus theft attempt and one theft near campus # all within two weeks # have led to two stolen bicycles and weary riders.
According to a news release sent via email from University Police Services, three men stole a bicycle from the bicycle rack on the north side of the Science and Technology building at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.
“No weapon was used, and no one was injured in the incident,” the report read. University Police could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Nicole Heckley, a USFSP student, posted in the Know It All’s Guide To Knowing It All!, a student-run Facebook forum, on Oct. 19 at 10:07 p.m., “BE CAREFUL ON CAMPUS AT NIGHT!! 3 guys came up and took my boyfriends bike and tried to get his laptop. This stuff really happens…”
Heckley told the Crow’s Nest that the three men tried to cut into the lock on her boyfriend’s bicycle but were unable to, so they waited.
When her boyfriend returned from studying at the library and unlocked his bike, they approached him, took the bike and asked him to hand over his backpack. According to Heckley, one of the men swung at her boyfriend. They didn’t see his laptop buried under his lunch bag, so they discarded the backpack on the ground and left campus with the bicycle. The victim declined to comment and asked to remain anonymous.
In an earlier incident, two unidentified individuals cut into a bicycle lock outside of Residence Hall One on Friday, Oct. 11, according to Lt. Reggie Oliver, University Police Services. The individuals moved the white Schwinn bicycle but were scared off by USFSP students. They proceeded to the University Student Center and tried to steal another bicycle but were unable to remove it from the rack. Nothing was stolen.
Oliver said some of the bicycles involved in the attempted theft were abandoned by previous USFSP students.
“Some of those have been there for months,” he said, referring to the bicycle rack outside of RHO. One of the bicycles has been there since the rack was installed, he said.
Lena Wray, a USFSP student living in a College Oaks apartment, located directly across from RHO, discovered her bicycle had been stolen on Oct. 17 after 11 p.m. Wray used a $50 lock to attach the red bicycle to a post on the stairs outside her apartment. She said the thieves broke her lock and left a Kmart bicycle behind.
“The campus police have been more than helpful,” Wray said. “They came by and surveyed the area and wrote a report.”
Because her bicycle was not registered with University Police Services or the city of St. Petersburg, the police were unable to track it down. Wray posted on the Know It All’s Guide, asking students to look for her “fire engine red” cruiser.
According to Oliver, as of Oct. 16, there have been 15 bicycle thefts on the USFSP campus since January 2013.
“Not a real high number,” he said.
Heckley’s boyfriend’s bicycle increases the total to 16.
Wray’s bicycle is not included in the count because the theft occurred off campus.
Oliver encourages students to register their bicycles with University Police Services. The serial number of registered bicycles goes into a city police database, enabling officers to track them down more easily. Students who register with University Police Services receive a free U-lock, the bolt lock Oliver recommends. Other locks can be cut easily.
St. Petersburg law requires bicycles to be licensed, Oliver said. If a student leaves USFSP riding an unlicensed bicycle, he or she could be fined, or the bicycle could be confiscated by St. Petersburg police. When a bike is registered with University Police Services, it is also licensed by the city.
For improved safety, Oliver encourages students to secure the bicycle frame, not the tire, to the lock. The tire can be easily removed. He also recommends students not bring expensive bicycles with accessories to campus. Expensive bicycles are targeted, and accessories will likely be stolen.
