KU Police remind students to register bikes and scooters as thefts trend upward

The KU Police Department building on campus, where officers monitor reports of bike and scooter thefts and manage the registration program. Emma Hale//KUJH

The University of Kansas Police Department is warning students about an increase in bike tufts on campus and encouraging anyone with a bicycle or e-scooter to register their property through KU’s online database.

Captain Jack Campbell said that while e-scooter thefts are down significantly from last year, the department has seen a noticeable rise in bicycle thefts this semester.

“Theft is always going to be one of our biggest crimes that we have on campus,” Campbell said . “In terms of compared to last year, when we made that specific announcement, we are significantly down in terms of specifically e-scooter thefts. We have seen a very recent trend upwards in bicycle thefts.”

The reminder comes nearly a year after KU Police posted a message on Facebook alerting students to a rise in scooter thefts. Captain Campbell said the department is preparing to issue another social media reminder in the coming weeks, as fall tends to bring an uptick in thefts.

“This is a time of year where we tend to see a little bit of an increase in general theft,” Campbell said. “We’re a couple of months into the school year. People are more comfortable with their surroundings.”

The registration program allows students to upload photos, serial numbers, and model information for their bikes and e-scooters on the KU Police Department website. Campbell said this information often makes the difference in reuniting owners with recovered property.

“If we have that information, it makes it a lot easier for us to be able to prove something’s yours whenever we recover it,” Campbell said.

While the program has been in place for several years,Cambell said participation remains lower than they’d like. One challenge, he said, is reaching students through newer social media platforms.

“Younger people don’t tend to use Facebook,” Campbell said. “We’re trying to find new ways to generate awareness around the bicycle registration program.”

Freshman Elliot Paden said he rides his bike daily to get to class faster and knows several students who have had items stolen.

“I have definitely heard that is a pretty big issue,” Paden said. “I know someone who got their bike stolen the first day”

Campbell said the department continues to emphasize theft prevention and recommends students invest in stronger locks.

“The cable locks just aren’t secure. They can be cut off very easily with a set of bolt cutters,” Campbell said. The locks that we really recommend to people, and because they seem to defeat the bolt cutters, are those U-shaped locks that clamp together. A lot of times whenever people abandon their bicycles here with those, they have to be cut off with a blowtorch.”