KPU and KSA collaborate to strengthen bike security on-campus
Amid the increase in bike theft around the Lower Mainland, both are working to minimize students’ risk of theft
KPU and the KSA are planning to create safer bike storage options on-campus, combatting the increase in bike theft. (Claudia Culley)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Kwantlen Student Association are planning to team up to strengthen bike security on-campus.
Bike theft has been a problem in the Lower Mainland for years, and the Vancouver Police Department recovers 2,000 bikes annually, reports their website. Bikes are an easy target for thieves as they are quick to get away with, but also valuable with detachable parts that can be sold, Gearbikesreview found.
While bike theft isn’t currently an issue on KPU’s campuses, it is common across communities.
“[The theft] is just us being part of these communities and having the same challenges and activities that the overall surrounding community has,” says Andy Sidhu, director of risk and security at KPU.
He says there haven’t been more than a couple stolen bike reports on KPU’s campuses over this semester, yet with the return to regular campus operations post COVID-19 restrictions, university security has seen bike theft return to pre-pandemic levels.
“If you leave your bike unsecured or poorly secured just about anywhere in our communities, there’s a risk that it may be taken, and the same applies to KPU. We’re no different,” Sidhu says.
KPU students currently have three options to lock up their bikes on-campus. The KSA offers 10 free bike lockers at the Surrey, Richmond, Tech, and Langley campuses, which students can rent out with a damage deposit of $20. KPU offers cages for students to lock their bikes in, along with traditional outdoor bike racks at every campus, both of which are free to students.
While students have lots of options to keep their bikes safe, Sidhu says this is something they want to change to create less confusion about bike storage.
“This is where we were looking at harmonizing the program to make it more effective to have both organizations contribute to one setup, whether it’s lockers or cage space … just trying to improve the process,” he says.
“We wanted to take an honest, proactive approach partnering with the KSA to ensure that we can try to minimize this risk as much as we can.”
The Runner reached out to the KSA for an interview, but they said they didn’t have enough information or knowledge about the collaboration or bike security to comment on the topic. However, during the Nov. 17 executive meeting, Executive Director Richard Hall said Sidhu had been asking about the viability of the KSA’s bike storage.
“I respectfully suggested that perhaps we can [do a] joint venture with KPU going forward to ensure safe storage of bicycles, and that would be under 24/7 cameras surveillance, which I understand some of the cameras are not working,” Hall said.
Sidhu says both parties are still researching what the best solution for safe and efficient bike storage on-campus would look like, but he hopes students will be able to see the collaboration’s efforts by the end of 2024.
KPU’s security is currently working diligently to ensure bikes are safe and secure by constantly patrolling the campuses to check up on bike lock areas, he says. If security notices a bike could be locked up more securely, they will leave a note so the bike owner can lock up their bike better next time. If they come across a bike not locked at all, they will bring it into the security office to keep it safe and leave a note for the owner to come pick it up.
“Always [locking] your bike in a secure spot with a high quality lock absolutely is critical. In most cases, you want to remove the seat and adjust the wheel so that it’s part of the lock,” Sidhu says. “We never want to leave any accessories, bags, or bike computers on your bike.”
Students can also record their bike’s serial number and register it in Project 529’s 529 Garage, a bike theft report and recovery system that helps police departments get bikes back to their owners.
“The university has a goal to provide a safe environment for everybody and that includes their personal belongings,” Sidhu says. “Whatever we can do, big or small … we want to make sure that we’re making that available to students, staff, anybody who comes onto campus.”
