Bike registration is key to recovery

Katherine K. Gardiner Arizona Summer Wildcat The University of Arizona Police Department bike compound houses stolen bicycles recovered by university police. The department retains the bikes for at least four to five years before sending them to auction. Students who have had a bike stolen can contact UAPD to see if the bicycle has been recovered.

UA students reported 300 bike thefts to university police last year. University police recommend registering bicycles to improve the chance for recovery.

University of Arizona police Sgt. Gene Taitano said the odds of recovering stolen bicycles are poor, but not nearly as bad as if they are not registered. Students, employees and visitors can register bicycles with Parking and Transportation Services for free and can use the documentation to prove ownership.

"The serial number, model type and color are all very important, but the serial number is the most important thing," Taitano said. "We can enter the serial number into the National Crime Information Center computer."

But the chances of recovering bikes, Taitano said, are still slim.

A number of preventative measures can slow down bike thieves, like only locking bicycles to secured posts in designated areas and using a U-lock instead of chains.

UA police complain of frequent false alarms by disoriented and forgetful students.

"Make sure to check where you last left your bike," Taitano said. "We get a lot of calls that are just misplaced bikes and not stolen - check to see if the lock is still there."

If the bike is actually stolen, police recommend calling 911 or 621-UAPD.

Bob Lutz, a University Medical Center doctor, knows the pain of not registering his bike. Lutz's bike was stolen three