Essential tips for securing bikes and scooters on campus
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 30, 2024) — As students return from fall break, many will continue to navigate campus via bike and scooter. While those transportation methods provide fast and easy ways to get around, they are also a common target of theft.
It is essential to know that protecting valuables with a few preventive measures can be quick and easy. From the University of Kentucky Police Department, here are several tips to keep your bikes and scooters secure on campus:
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Use a high-quality “U” shaped lock. Avoid using locks made from inexpensive cables or chains, as they can be easily broken.
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Always attach bikes or scooters to a bike rack by the frame. Attaching them to trees, fences, benches or poles may be less secure. Doing so is also against UK policy, making the bike or scooter subject to impoundment. Do not attach a bike or scooter by the seat or wheel, as they can be easily removed. Bike racks are provided at nearly every building on campus.
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Never leave a bike or scooter unlocked, even for a short amount of time. Lock them up no matter what. Theft can occur within a matter of seconds.
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Do not leave valuables with a bike or scooter. Take helmets, bags and other personal items. Leaving them behind makes them easy targets for theft.
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Register bikes and scooters with UK Transportation Services. Students can register their bikes or scooters through UK Transportation Services, free of charge. If a student’s bike or scooter is stolen, this will help UKPD return it if it is recovered. More information can be found here.
Students who witness suspicious activity can anonymously report tips via the LiveSafe App or by calling UKPD’s nonemergency line at 859-257-UKPD (8573).
Stolen bikes or scooters should be reported to UKPD. And, as always, students experiencing an emergency should dial 911.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.