UP holds campus bicycle registration

University Police (UP) will be on campus today offering free registration of bicycle serial numbers for students, faculty and staff, said UP spokeswoman Lt. Meg Ross.

UP will be registering bicycles from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in front of the campus bookstore.

Ross said according to the semiannual uniform crime report for 2009, 30 bicycles were stolen on campus from January to June. She said the registration is a way for UP to track possibly stolen or pawned bicycles.

Once a student registers his or her bicycle with UP, the serial number is placed into the Florida Criminal Information Center (FCIC).

The FCIC is connected directly to the National Criminal Information Center.

“By law, pawn brokers are required to report serial numbers of anything they take in,” Ross said. “If a registered bike is stolen and taken to a pawn shop, the serial number is flagged in the database, and the pawn shop cannot sell it.”

Ross said most people don’t record their serial numbers and are unable to track their bicycle once it’s stolen.

She said the lack of bicycle registration is most likely because the program is not widely advertised.

“This service on campus has not been heavily used,” Ross said.

Ross said UP received a large amount of students registering their bicycles at the first registration on Aug. 21.

UP officers are trying to build awareness of the program by setting up the temporary locations to register, she said.

Students can go to Parking and Transportation Services for free bicycle registration throughout the year.

To register, students need to bring their bicycle and photo identification.

UP will also hold bicycle registrations from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday on the north side of Cooper Hall, Sept. 6 in front of Fresh Food Company and Sept. 9 next to the Magnolia Apartments pool.