Problem Statement

Many students think that the number one stolen item at UF is their electronics; although, the number one item stolen on campus is students’ bicycles. Bike theft is a problem on the University of Florida campus because students are constantly getting their bikes stolen even though they are locked up and secure. Students are doing everything right when they lock up their bike but it is still getting taken and this is a problem at the University of Florida that needs to come to an end. Many students leave their bikes locked up right outside of their dorm rooms and they will come out the next morning and find out that their bike is stolen. These bikes are being stolen in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping and when security around campus is not expecting it. Any student at UF with a bike needs to make sure that they lock their bike up because anyone with a bike can be at risk. The main cause of this problem is that students don’t have the correct lock for their bike. Many students tend to buy the cheaper locks because they don’t know that bike theft is a problem. However, students that have the “U-lock” are at less of a risk because this lock is practically impossible to break and thieves will go after bikes that don’t have the “U-lock.” The “U-lock” is 13 mm of steel lock that is shaped like the letter U and is resistant against bolt cutter and other forms of destruction that the robbers use. Therefore, making security of the bike greater can prevent bike theft. The effect that bike theft has on students leaves them in a phase of anguish and distress. If a student gets his or her bike stolen they are left confused as to why their bike got stolen and who stole the bike. After getting their bike stolen many students have a hard time finding transportation around campus. If this problem is solved students of UF can feel safe and this campus can be a safe place to have your bike. Students will not be worried about their bike getting stolen and they can be able to know that their bike will be there when they need it. The police department is trying to stop this problem, however, there are still bikes being stolen. The university police department goal is “to preserve a safe secure campus environment where diverse social, cultural and academic values are allowed to develop and prosper through a combination of reactive, proactive and educational law enforcement services.” However, they are failing to live up their goal of providing “a safe secure campus environment” because students don’t feel safe locking up their bike. If the police department puts more time and effort into this issue then the problem can be solved. The police department needs to make this a priority and this problem will be solved with this extra effort. This is a problem that can be easily solved with extra security, time and effort.

A practical solution to this problem would require that students have the "U-lock" and register their bike with the police department. The police department will register everyone bike for free and put a tracking device on the bike. With the tracking device anyone will be able to find the bike if it gets stolen. If the bike has the "U-lock" and is registered with the UFPD I think that all the bikes will be safe and secure.