Recent bicycle thefts around campus and the St. James Complex have spurred several notices from the Bradley University Police Department for students to take better care of their bicycle security.
“First of all, we’ve not historically seen a lot of bike thefts, so anything is an increase over what we had,” BUPD Chief Brian Joschko said.
The thefts began shortly after students returned to campus for the fall semester.
“We were starting to see more bike thefts, and they were coming mostly out of the St. James Complex area, which is why we targeted St. James and put out an email,” Joschko said.
Joschko said the thefts were crimes of opportunity, most likely committed by juveniles or someone passing through the area. According to Joschko, a good number of people whose bikes were stolen left their bikes unattended, but there were also instances when the locks were broken.
“We saw that and took a proactive step to alert people and remind them of good bicycle safety and make sure they lock them and put them in their appropriate places,” Joschko said.
The BUPD is working through the cases, and there is a promising lead with video footage of one of the thefts.
Joschko suggested that students take advantage of the bike racks, where there is better lighting and security.
“One thing I would tell people is report suspicious activity,” Joschko said. “If you see somebody that doesn’t belong, call us.”
Students may call the university police at (309) 677-2000 in the instance of theft.
