Bicycle Thefts Down 50% At Temple University, Bike Registration Program Continues
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Temple University is offering a free bicycle registration program to students.
Margarita Hoelper, an art history major, participated by filling out an online form.
"So, I just gave the make and model," she said. "And, if you want, to you can upload a picture to the form, so it's really pretty simple."
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Then the owner takes the bike to one of the three campus public safety locations where, according to Charles Leone, executive director of campus safety services at Temple, two stickers are placed on the bike.
"One that is conspicuous says it has been registered by our department, and one underneath with a special number," he explained. "So if we or the Philadelphia police see it, because we partner with Philly, they can check the registration to see if it's one of the bikes that is registered with us."
An extra incentive is all students who register their bikes receive a free U-lock and are taught how to properly use it.
Temple's campus safety officials say bicycle theft has gone down 50 percent from August of last year, when the program was started.
