Bicycle vandalism and thefts on campus are on the rise, according to the department of university safety, after three bikes were vandalized and four were stolen between May 25-30.
Ryan Marshall, a fourth-year linguistics student, said he experienced the acts of vandalism first hand on May 29 when his bicycle was tampered with.
Marshall said he parked and locked his bike on the bike racks between Residence Commons and Glengarry House at 8:45 a.m, where, according to Marshall, he returned eight hours later and noticed the rubber handgrips were missing.
“A special constable came and took me back to my bike where I realized I was also missing a white front LED light I’d purchased, as well as the speed shifters and brake levers on the handlebars,” he said in an email. “The brake lines had also been cut.”
Marshall said campus safety told him they have suspects in mind, but need hard evidence in order to go forward with the case.
In the mean time, Marshall said he had to pay $150 to repair the damage.
Bicycle thefts and vandalism on campus are more frequent during the summer months than during the rest of the year, according to Richard Sabourin, a special constable with campus safety.
Dunton Tower, Residence Commons, and Steacie Building bicycle racks are the most common targets for bike thieves and vandals, he said.
The increase is not exclusive to Carleton’s campus. When spring turns to summer, bike theft becomes more frequent in the surrounding neighbourhoods as well, Sabourin said.
Campus safety runs a number of initiatives to combat bike thefts. The department hung tags on bicycles in July 2013, which contained tips on how to lock a bike securely, and provided information on Carleton’s bicycle compound, which is located in athletics.
According to Sabourin, it takes a thief “only a couple seconds” to cut a cable lock or chain. He recommended using a U-lock as a better alternative.
Carleton safety is working closely with Ottawa Police to catch those responsible for bike thefts, Sabourin said, but added it is difficult to say whether or not the suspected thieves are from inside the Carleton community.
If someone is caught stealing a bike they will face full criminal charges. Convicted thieves could face up to two years in jail, Sabourin said.
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