The Boston University Police Department is hoping to increase participation in its bicycle registration program by offering free property registration and engraving at the George Sherman Union in mid-March, BUPD officials said this week.
The property registration program, which has been in place for the past five years, is part of an effort by the BUPD to return and hopefully deter bike theft, according to BUPD Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire.
The program uses a computer system that assigns a serial number to a student’s name and property, which is then engraved on their bike.
The program, which is free for any BU student, requires students to bring their bikes to the BUPD station to receive a sticker with a registration number.
The registration at the GSU, which is partly sponsored by the Student Union, is tentatively scheduled for Mar. 19. Hilaire said he hopes the event will garner interest and involvement in the registration program.
‘We hope that students will register their bikes with this program so that we can quickly return many of the bikes we recover,’ Hilaire said. ‘Without the registration numbers, we are unable to return any bike we find.’
Although the system is used for only bikes, BUPD officials said they also hope the registration drive will increase awareness of serial numbers already attached to more expensive items like laptops.
‘Since our system is not able to handle more than just bicycles, it is important that people know the serial numbers on their more expensive items like laptops,’ St. Hilaire said. ‘If we get a report of a stolen laptop there is no way we can recover it without a serial number.’
While the program may aid students’ abilities to recover stolen items, some said they doubt it will do anything to help stop theft in general.
‘I think the plan will help things get recovered but I believe it won’t do anything to prevent theft,’ said Mike Peterson, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
School of Management sophomore Jarret Schumacher said while the program may help recover some students’ property, it will not have an affect on long-term campus crime.
Several students said they do feel the program will help more students recover stolen property in the future, once more students have heard of it.
‘It seems like this program will help a lot of people recover their possessions very conveniently as long as more people are made aware of it,’ said Lindsay Chottiner, a junior in the College of Communication.
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