By Cory Cole
In January, four students at USF St. Petersburg were left facing the reality that their bikes were stolen.
Tiffany Nicholson, a second-year graduate student studying conservation biology, spends most of her time in the Marine Science Laboratory.
Nicholson never expected that one day she would find her bike missing. She always remembered to lock it.
“I was just in there for two hours just to finish things up, came back out and it was gone, the whole thing, no lock, no nothing,” Nicholson said.
The incident happened on Jan. 4, the Friday before spring classes started. Nicholson used the cable lock that was recommended to her by the shop she bought her bike from.
For four years, Nicholson had no issues with her bike or lock. Now, she is using a longboard to travel to and from campus. Recovering from a sprained ankle, Nicholson said she misses how much easier biking made her commute.
Nicholson said she will never know for certain who stole her bike because of a lack of surveillance footage around the area.
But she recalls an individual loitering around the day her bike was stolen. The person even spoke with her, telling her he was not from the area, and even asking her questions about the marine science building.
USF St. Petersburg is an open campus, which permits the general public to pass through it freely. This also means that unwelcomed individuals can easily find their way onto school grounds.
Rebecca Sauchuk, a junior biology major, was shocked after watching the surveillance footage of her bike being stolen from the Lowell E. Davis Memorial Hall. According to Sauchuk, the footage showed multiple individuals walking around as the theft occurred. However, no one reported any suspicious activity.
“If this guy was dangerous, and these people were not paying attention, something a lot worse could have possibly happened,” Sauchuk said. She hopes that in the future, students will be more proactive in reporting and stopping crime on campus.
The University Police Department has been confronting the issue of bike thefts on campus for years. In 2017, only five bike thefts were reported. In 2018, that number rose to nine. This year, there have already been four reported thefts.
“Bikes are very important to people, and we take them very seriously,” said David Hendry, chief of UPD.
Hendry explained that in previous years, most thefts happened overnight. Bike corrals were installed at both residence halls for an added level of protection.
Should students be concerned with the increase in bike thefts at the start of the 2019 spring semester?
Hendry suspects this is nothing more than a random spike in criminal activity, which is common from time to time. In regard to the thefts on campus, all four were committed by people with different descriptions. Three happened during the day, and one occurred at night with an unlocked bike.
Jonathan Guerrier, a freshman economics major, was taken by surprise to learn that his bike was stolen. Guerrier left his bike unlocked outside of the University Student Center, something he did many times before if he did not plan on staying long.
“I recommend that everyone lock their bike up,” Guerrier said, hoping that his words would keep others from making the same mistake.
Hendry is adamant that students must lock their bikes. Those without a lock or who are unsure of how to lock their bike can visit UPD.
He explained that St. Petersburg has an ordinance in place that requires bikes to be registered with the city, and that UPD is willing to help students through the process.
For more information on bike safety and protection, visit the UPD website at https://www.usfsp.edu/university-police-department/bike-safety-and-protection/.
To register a bike with the city of St. Petersburg, visit http://police.stpete.org/solve-crime/bicycle-registration.html.
