The University of New Mexico Police Department is working to reduce car, bicycle and scooter theft by patrolling the Central Campus more thoroughly, monitoring bike racks and promoting proper security practices.
While statistics around bike thefts on campus are not widely available, in 2024, reported 81 instances of motor vehicle theft, a category that includes theft of electric scooters and electric bikes.
Recently, UNMPD has been distributing flyers around campus that detail which bike locks to use and how to use them, in addition to increasing patrols covering bike racks around campus.
“You can tell who’s a student and who’s not just by their eagerness to go to every single bike rack rather than going to class,” UNMPD Officer Stephanie Dufault told the Daily Lobo. “We’re doing our due diligence and being proactive, getting out around the campus, and just making sure that there isn’t anything weird going on, people lingering around the bike racks.”
UNMPD Lieutenant Larry Bitsoih said through UNM’s camera system, UNMPD can monitor a vast majority of Main Campus.
“Our camera system is great; we have quite a few throughout the main campus. Those cameras help us provide evidence. In other words, if a crime occurs near a camera, officers or detectives can review the footage, and it may lead to suspects,” Bitsoih said.
Bitsoih said it’s important for a person to be able to identify their property and document what it looks like, such as by taking multiple pictures of the bike and registering the serial number with UNMPD.
“We sometimes recover bicycles, but we don’t know who they belong to if there’s no identification on those particular bikes,” Bitsoih said.
UNM also introduced bike valet program last semester, where students, staff and faculty can leave their bikes and other micromobility vehicles at a staffed storage facility outside of the Student Union Building. The valet is operated by UNM Parking and Transportation Services, and is available on weekdays only, at no charge.
UNMPD Sergeant Eric Peer said it's important to understand that while personal tracking can sometimes assist with recovery after theft, they aren’t always the best option.
“(Bike owners) do use AirTags, but the devices are easily identifiable because if they try to conceal them in the frame, they don't emit enough signal to track them,” Peer said. “They must be on top of the handlebars or somewhere visible, and we've had people with GPS devices who usually find them thrown in a bush or yard. We'll track the device, and the people who steal the bikes will find them and get rid of them right away.”
Peer expressed the importance of having the correct bike lock for the type of bike, and using it correctly.
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“That's the biggest thing that we find: (bike theft victims are) not using the right lock. And when they do, they don't secure it properly. As far as making sure the frame and all the tires are through that lock, that's the biggest thing, is just making sure it's secure,” Peer said.
Elizabeth Bolke is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
