Thanks to a policy of Penn's Division of Public Safety, if you've failed to properly lock up your bicycle on campus, you may find it waiting for you in the custody of the Penn Police.
DPS has a policy of taking unattended and unsecured bicycles on campus without the owner's knowledge. They bring the bicycles to campus security headquarters -- located at 4040 Chestnut St. - and try to contact the owner of the bike so they can retrieve it.
Additionally, if a bike is found attached to a rack with a simple cable lock, Penn police officers will affix to the bike a note reminding the bike's owner how to secure the bicycle to allow for optimal protection.
According to DPS Director of Operations and External Affairs Stefanie Cella, Penn's Police Department takes such measures to help prevent thefts.
"The UPPD takes bicycle theft very seriously," she wrote in an e-mail.
Cella said that owners are encouraged to use metal U-locks rather than cable locks because the cable locks are "easy to defeat" - they can be snipped more easily by thieves.
Cella added that it is easy to contact the owner of the vehicle if the bicycle is registered with Campus Express.
Drexel University has a slightly different approach to preventing unsecured bicycles from being stolen.
According to Drexel's Director of Public Safety, Frederick Carbonara, if Drexel's private security guards discover an unsecured bike, they will put a U-lock on it and will leave a note urging its owner to contact security so the bicycle can be released.
When security shows up to unlock the bicycle, the guards will educate the owner on bike safety, Carbonara said.
He added that this measure reduces theft and is "a proactive approach to insuring the safety of people's property."
Drexel does not remove bicycles like Penn does because they do not have the storage space, said Carbonara.
Cella commented that Penn does not take a course of action similar to that of Drexel's because Penn Police does not provide locks for students. U-locks can be purchased for a discounted price at the Penn book store.
She added that in addition to security checks, DPS tries to curb the number of thefts by publicizing bicycle safety measures on campus and online.
"As always, DPS continues to encourage its community to take a shared responsibility in properly securing personal property and not leaving items unattended," Cella wrote.
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