Student Government
Members of Student Government and SAFE Team kept their eyes peeled for potential bike thieves on campus Tuesday night.
Nearly 40 bikes have been stolen from campus since the start of the Fall semester, according to University Police. And bikes are still disappearing, despite the recent arrest of the prime suspect in the case.
In response to the thefts, members of both organizations monitored bike racks outside student housing areas. The most recent thefts occurred outside of Magnolia, Holly and Castor residence halls.
SG and SAFE Team split into teams for a stakeout. Two people stood near bike racks nonchalantly while two others waited in golf carts nearby. Members were advised to contact UP immediately if they saw any suspicious activity.
However, individuals loitering at the racks scurried off at the sight of patrollers, said SG Director of University Affairs Justin Hall.
“If they saw us or heard our radios, then they left,” Hall said.
One man was especially suspicious, Hall said. When they moved down the bike rack to take a closer look, he rushed off and wasn’t seen for the remainder of the stakeout. No requests for backup were made, according to UP.
SAFE Team escorts students around campus at night, but is also partly responsible for nighttime security, Hall said. The organization, according to SG’s Web site, is supposed to patrol parking lots throughout the night, looking out for criminal activity.
“It was something that was kind of unsaid in the past,” he said. “But now we’re putting an emphasis on it.”
SG is assessing the cost of providing students with bike locks and wants to see
if students are receptive to
the idea.