After the first time his bike was stolen from the Hedrick Hall bike racks, John Masline bought an identical bike as a replacement.
The second time his bike was stolen, the first-year economics student decided to just walk.
These thefts, which occurred within the first two weeks of fall and winter quarter, respectively, are only two of many bike thefts that occur on campus every week.
Although bike thefts have decreased in frequency since the second half of 2009, there has been an increase in bike thefts on campus in the past week and a half, according to university police crime logs.
Since April 14, more than six bikes have been reported stolen from a number of spots on campus.
While statistics show that bike thefts have increased this month, there has been an overall decrease in the last several months as more bike thieves have been arrested, said UCPD detective Roland Ruiz.
Andrew Pasillas, a third-year sociology student, is one of many students who have had a bike stolen in the recent string of thefts.
Pasillas speculates a bad lock was the reason his bike was stolen from the bike racks outside Covel Commons on April 14.
“I just had a cable lock, not a U-lock. I think (U-locks) are safer,” Pasillas said. “I had heard it from other people and I just kind of ignored it.”
At present, both Pasillas’ and Masline’s bikes have not been recovered, although they filed police reports.
“The first time, I felt like the police didn’t do anything. But the second time, I felt like they were trying to help,” Masline said.
Although Masline will not get another bike, Pasillas said he plans to buy a bike again in the near future.
To prevent bike thefts, students should register bicycles with university police, which will allow the UCPD to have serial numbers on record, UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein said. “We have arrested thieves and found many bikes but don’t know who they belong to,” she said. “(Registering) is a good tool.”
Other tips to protect bicycles include not leaving bikes unattended, getting heavy-duty locks and checking on bikes periodically, especially if they are parked in a heavily populated area like Bruin Walk or the Hill, Ruiz said.
University police have made efforts to reduce bike thefts by creating lines of communication between themselves and bike riders on campus.
“We’ve been outreaching to those in the community, especially those who ride bikes, to report anything suspicious at bike racks,” Ruiz said.
Police have also reached out to other college campuses to find bike thieves who target universities.
“We are in L.A., and it’s not difficult for somebody to come on campus,” Masline said. “They can steal whatever they want, but they wait for something worth stealing.”