Campus security is increasing efforts to keep students’ property safe by implementing a voluntary bicycle registration program.
The registration is a free, one-time form to be filled out by students and faculty. Those who register are given a small sticker with a unique four-digit identifying number to put on the front of the bike. Unlike car registration, there is no annual renewal.
While theft is uncommon on Hillsdale’s campus, Bill Whorley, director of campus security and emergency management, said two students’ bicycles were lost or stolen over the summer.
“While it’s not security’s responsibility, I, as a human being, felt bad that they lost property,” Whorley said.
The new registration program aims to aid identification of bicycles while also helping students keep a record of the bicycle’s make, model, and serial number.
“I’d like to have a mechanism where students can record and file the registration information,” Whorley said. “How many people, when they buy a bicycle, write down the make, model, and serial number?”
This information is vital for police to register lost property in national databases.
“I continue to notice a lot of bikes that are not locked up,” Whorley said. “They’re put in the racks, but not locked.”
Junior Andrew Baker, who had not heard of the registration program, rides his bike to campus regularly. The location he leaves his bike determines if he locks it.
“If I leave it near Central Hall or the library, I sometimes don’t lock it up, but if it’s near Lane or the science building, I lock it up for sure,” Baker said.
Baker said he has no intention of registering his bicycle.
In addition to student-owned bicycles, college-owned bikes also suffered from a lack of security.
Amanda Bigney, director of student activities, said there are no longer any bikes available because they were all either broken beyond repair or never returned to the union.
“We’re looking at revamping a little bit and keeping the security on them a little bit tighter,” Bigney said.
In the next few months, Bigney said she will be looking into getting new bikes to make available in the spring. The now-missing bicycles were purchased when the Grewcock Student Union was built five years ago and were in need of replacing.
