Keene State College campus safety e-mailed students last Thursday, April 28, about multiple bike thefts that occurred in early April.

Director of Campus Safety Amanda Guthorn said bikes being stolen on a college campus on not unlikely.  However, Guthorn said the amount of bikes that have gone missing in a short period has caused for concern. “You go through periods of time where bikes will go missing, so this is an unusual sort of clump of bikes that go within a short period of time,” said Guthorn.

According to the e-mail, out of the four bikes stolen this month, only one has been returned to its owner. In addition, the e-mail stated three of the four were secured to bike racks with cable locks. One was broken by force, and the others were cut.

Guthorn said bikes are taken for various reasons, such as borrowing them to get somewhere or snatching parts for one’s own bike. She said that another major motive for stealing a bike is to sell it. Guthorn recommends using a U-lock or heavy gauge cable lock to secure your bike.

Some students like KSC sophomore Graham Beaudoin, keep their bikes inside their dorms. “I’ve already been securing my bike pretty well, so I’m not too worried,” said Beaudon. “I keep my bike locked up downstairs, so I feel comfortable with that. “

KSC First-year Kyler Tang however, had his bike stolen inside of his dorm building last semester. He said he kept his bike in Randall Hall. His bike was stolen three times and returned twice. Once, he found it in the building’s study room. The third time his bike was taken, he lost it for good.

“It’s kind of my fault in a way because I would go upstairs to my room and forget to lock it,” said Tang.

Guthorn said anyone who brings their bike on campus should register their bike. That way, if someone loses their bike and it is recovered, it can be returned to the owner. You can register your bike in Campus Safety or at the police station. Guthorn asks for people to be on alert for anyone who is scoping out bike racks or believed to have committed theft.

To report a stolen bike or suspicious behavior, call Campus Safety at (603) 358-2228 or the Keene Police Department at (603) 357-9813.

Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com