The number of bikes reported stolen from the Tempe campus has dropped from 294 in 2007 to 144 in 2008 thus far, according to recent ASU police documents.
The West and Polytechnic campuses have both reported fewer than ten bike thefts this year, while the Downtown Phoenix campus has not reported any.
There are typically about 20 bike thefts a month on the Tempe campus, said Crime Prevention Unit officer Brian Kiefling of the ASU Police Department. So far this year, the average has dropped to 16 bike thefts a month.
"For our student, faculty and staff populations, having less than one bike stolen a day is actually pretty low," Kiefling said.
In the past, bike theft rings have been a prominent setback in preventing bike theft, said Jay Spradling, ASU's assistant police chief. Theft rings consist of an organized group of people that steal items and then sell them in order to make a profit. Most of the people in theft rings are drug addicts, street gangs or anyone 'just trying to make a quick buck,' Kiefling said.
In previous years, the ASU Police Department made arrests with theft rings that stole bikes from ASU campuses, and then go to Tucson to sell the bikes at the University of Arizona. They then turn around and steal bikes from the University of Arizona campus, bring them back to Tempe and sell them at ASU, said Spradling.
Recently, there have been fewer bike theft rings found than in the past, which may contribute to the decrease in bike thefts.
There are also more police officers and police aides present on campus than in past recent years.
"We had several vacancies for a couple of years. This year we have the best staffing we have had in awhile," said Spradling.
The decrease in bike thefts on campus may also be because of a new lecture that all freshmen living on campus are required to attend. During this lecture, officers highlight bike etiquette and safety on campus and emphasize ways to ensure security for your bike.
Officers suggest that every bike owner register their bike and memorize the serial number. Also, bike owners should have reliable bike locks, use their locks consistently and watch for suspicious behavior around bike rack areas.
