Hopkins Campus Safety and Security is currently investigating a sharp increase in the number of on-campus bicycle thefts, all of which appear to have been committed by two non-students, said Executive Director of Campus Safety and Security Edmund Skrodzki.
"Investigation shows there are at least two teenage (non-student) males responsible, and we are pursuing all investigative leads to identify and apprehend them," Skrodzki said via e-mail.
Between Oct. 17 and Oct. 25, 14 bicycle thefts were reported to Campus Safety and Security, two of which were recovered. During the rest of this academic year for which Security kept records -- the period between Sept. 5 and Oct. 17 -- only three such thefts were reported, according to the security Web site's daily incident reports. Other forms of crime do not appear to have noticeably increased.
All of the thefts, save one theft of an unsecured bicycle, were committed in the same manner. "Each of the recent bicycle thefts is attributed to the use of small, concealable cutters that easily defeat the common cable locks," Skrodzki said.
In response, security officers have begun replacing cable locks with U-bolt locks on bicycles on campus, making them harder to steal. Skrodzki said students whose bikes are locked in this manner will find a note attached to their bicycle and should call security to have the lock removed.
Bicycle theft has increased on the Hopkins campus despite decreased crime overall in the Northern District, the Baltimore police district which include Charles Village, Hampden, Park Heights and Waverly, among other neighborhoods.
According to Officer Doug Gibson of the Community Relations Office for the Northern District of Baltimore, reported larcenies -- the category that would include bicycle thefts -- are down 26 percent year-to-date. During the past 28 days, burglaries are 25 percent lower compared to the same time last year.
Gibson also said the increase in theft seems specific to the Hopkins campus. "I don't think we've had any particular increase in the Charles Village area in crime," he said.
While Gibson said there is typically a rise in theft in the fall, around the holidays, he expressed surprise at such a sharp increase.
"Even for high-end bikes, there's not a big market," he said. "I don't know what they're doing with them."
Students were notified of the thefts via an e-mail sent on Oct. 20. The e-mail warned students that all of the thefts were committed by cutting a cable lock, and it advised students to use a U-bolt lock rather than a cable lock. It also informed students that security officers would be replacing cable locks.
Additionally, "leaflets informing the students of the recent increase in bicycle thefts and suggestions to prevent further thefts were distributed throughout campus," Skrodzki said.
Students were also directed to Campus Safety and Security's Web site, http://www.jhu.edu/security, where bicycles can be registered so that, in the event they are recovered, they can be returned.
Finally, students were asked to "report any suspicious individuals or activity observed around bicycle racks" by calling the Security office at (410) 516-4600.
Skrodzki also asked students to be on the lookout for anyone riding a bicycle and pulling another one behind him, as this can be an indication of theft.
Some of the newly installed surveillance cameras "have provided video footage [of the thefts], which will assist in the identification of the thieves," Skrodzki said.
However, the cameras' use is limited, as they are not currently set up around academic areas, according to cable plant project manager Michael Cleveland. "The highest priority was to cover dormitories around all the AMRs and the Homewood, where students travel and live."
Cleveland said the project is "moving toward the center of campus," and that "the next set [of cameras] is designed more around the academic set of buildings."
Five bicycles were stolen from the bike racks outside of the MSE library; other bicycles were stolen near Maryland Hall, Shaffer Hall, the Mattin Center, Hodson Hall, Gilman Hall, Building B, the Bloomberg Center and outside of the Gatehouse.
Skrodzki said that the names of victims of bicycle theft could not be released.
According to the daily incident reports, the bicycle stolen from outside Maryland Hall on Oct. 20 was recovered in front of Wolman Hall, but its quick-release seat was missing. The one stolen outside of Bloomberg on Oct. 21 was recovered the same day nearby in the woods.
Sophomore Jonathon Smits wasn't particularly worried about the safety of his bike, which he usually locks outside of MSE and Krieger Hall, and he said he hasn't changed the way he locks it in response to the thefts.
"I use both a U-bolt and a cable lock," he said. "I use the U-bolt for the back wheel and the frame, and I use the cable lock for my front wheel."
"I doubt anyone really wants to steal just my front tire, so I feel like it's safe," he said.
