Our Campus Police Department has gone above and beyond for our bike safety by implementing effective safety precautions. According to Lieutenant Cheri Silveira, within the last three years, the number of bikes stolen has gone from 27 to only four.
“The campus is also working toward building an enclosed, secure bike structure near Bizzini Hall. This project is in the planning stages. It will hopefully be a huge deterrent for bike theft,” says Lt. Silveira.
Given that CSU Stanislaus is a commuter school, many students and professors resort to biking to campus, which is why people need to be informed about bike safety.
Bike safety is provided by the school in the form of biking sidewalks that circle the campus, U-lock giveaways and free bike registration dates during Warrior Wednesdays given by the University Police department. These are easy, cost effective ways to keep your bike secure while attending CSU Stanislaus.
“I do feel like my bike is safe on campus because we have police that are circling the campus, and because on one Warrior Wednesday they had a booth that you could register your bike with the city to make it easier for the city to track your bike if it is taken,” says Autumn Halvorsen (junior, Geology)
It is extremely important to use the bike safety tricks and gadgets that are being handed out by the University police. By having your bike registered with the city, this will help officials find your bike if your bike were to be stolen. Also, U-locks are very effective and a very hard lock to cut through, so the fact that the University Police is giving them away for free is very helpful.
“These locks are extremely difficult to cut through or break. I won’t say they are 100% because thieves are crafty and can get into most stuff with a little will power, but because they make it more difficult to steal, it’s a huge deterrent,” says Lt. Silveira.
The bike registrations occur during Warrior Wednesdays, and for those wondering what the catch is, there isn’t one. It is a very simple process that improves the safety of your bike.
“We only need two items in order to register your bike. We need to see your bike in person, so we can retrieve and confirm the serial number, and you must have a valid email address to
receive your registration. Since all students have a Stan State email, half the requirement is already done,” says Lt. Silveira
There are multiple ways to keep your bike safe on campus. There are designated areas for locking up bikes while a student is attending classes that are in public areas. Where you lock up your bike is important because you never know who may be on campus that day.
Fortunately, Lieutenant Silveira has left us with some quality tips to improve the safety for our bikes. “Register your bike with a police agency. Invest in a thick, secure bike lock, and make sure you’re locking your bike correctly. Don’t leave your bike on campus overnight.”
Biking is a more environmentally friendly, cost friendly alternative to driving to school. Although it might take a little extra effort to pedal your way to school, it is definitely a money saver. As we all know, the parking permits are not only on the more expensive side, but they sell out fairly quickly and even if you do get a permit, your parking spot is not guaranteed, which is why a bike is a money saving investment.
Because our world is full of pollution, even as little as biking to class instead of driving can make a large difference in the world we live in. Especially since living in the Central Valley exposes us to mass amounts of pollution, biking can start a domino effect that can better help our environment. Luckily, our University Police Department allows us to safely use our bikes on campus.
Bike safety is extremely important for our campus. It helps the University to feel comfortable. Thankfully, our police department has been working extremely hard to keep our bikes safe and our students and faculty satisfied.
