Bicycles continue to disappear at Santa Rosa Junior College for the past few weeks. On Feb. 27, a bike disappeared from the bike racks near Piner Hall, and on Feb 28, another bike was stolen from the racks by Maggini Hall. The most recent theft happened on March 4, someone stole a bike from the racks behind the library.

All of the missing bicycles used cable style locks to anchor themselves to the rack. Opportunistic thieves usually use a simple tool to snip the cables and walk away with the bike undetected. Students are encouraged to utilize a metal U-lock style device instead to secure the frame of the bike to the bike rack. Parts of the bike that are not permanently secured like bike seats and “quick release” wheels are high targets in bike thefts. Students are advised to frequently check that parts are always properly secured and to try to avoid bringing expensive removable parts to school.

There are numerous bike racks around campus as well as bicycle storage lockers. Students should look for areas that are well-lit and populated when securing their bikes on a rack. Bike storage lockers are easily accessible and charge only about five cents per hour for daily use (prepaid cards are available). Since thefts generally happen while the bike owner is in class, the best way to watch out for these crimes is if all SRJC students keep their eyes open for any suspicious activity around nearby bike racks.

If you see any suspicious activity, call the SRJC district police at (707) 527-1000. You could be saving someone’s bike.