Permits help police identify lost bikes

Bicycling groups in the Detroit area are criticizing a new city plan to fine riders $55 for not registering their bikes with the city — a fine that remains less than $10 at MSU.

The new fee, which is being used to deter theft, will be put into action in Detroit beginning Aug. 7.

Lynnette Forman, parking operations supervisor at the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety, said that registering bikes that are parked on campus is an ordinance that does not deter theft, but helps with identification.

Bike registration, which has been in effect at MSU since 1964, uses sticker permits with a serial number that are placed on the bike and are valid for two years after the date of registration.

More students register their bikes each year, Forman said.

In 2007, 5,591 bikes were registered on campus, a rise from 4,844 in 2006.

“If someone does report that their bike has been stolen, they can provide a serial number to police for the report,” Forman said.

If a bike is impounded, the owner has 30 days to claim it at the DPPS for an $8 fee. If a person does not claim their bike on time, it is sent to the MSU Surplus Store, where some bikes are sold or donated.

Bikes face impoundment if they are not properly parked in bike racks on campus. Those that are locked to a stop sign or tree face impoundment for safety purposes, Forman said.

“It’s not only to keep the campus looking nice, but also for disabled people who are walking along and not expecting to have a bike parked on the sidewalk,” she said. “The majority of them are impounded for being abandoned on campus.”

Julian Simioni, president of the MSU Cycling Club, said that registering bikes on campus does not help with theft issues.

“I haven’t heard of a case where a bike was returned to its owner because it was registered,” said Simioni, a computer science senior. “Generally, they don’t get returned at all.”

Bike theft is not a result of problems with the registration system, Simioni said. If a rider wants to protect their bike, Simioni recommends using both a cable lock and a U-lock on the bike when locking it up.

Registration also helps officers track down suspicious riders, Forman said.

“Officers who are working non-traditional hours may see someone riding a bike in the middle of the night that looks suspicious,” Forman said.

“We can run their permit and see who it belongs to, making sure it belongs to the person riding it.”

The number of bikes stolen or impounded on campus are not numbers that are usually studied, she said.

MSU Bikes, a program within MSU Transportation Services that deals with bike repair and rentals as well as bike donations, assigns 12 locations around campus at the end of spring semester where bikes can be donated.

Bikes that are rented out of MSU Bikes have a registration name and number that is particular to the shop, MSU Bikes assistant coordinator Melissa Stewart said.

Registering a bike on campus can be more beneficial than leaving it unregistered, Stewart said.

“You’re not going to get it back if it’s not registered under your name, that’s for sure,” she said.

Published on Monday, July 21, 2008