Wave of Bicycle Thefts Plagues CSUN Campus
California State University, Northridge is experiencing a wave of bicycle thefts, according to a campus police official.
Lt. Mark Hissong said 62 bicycles have been reported stolen on the campus since January, and that about half the thefts have occurred this fall. Over the previous five years, CSUN had averaged only 14 bicycle thefts a year, he said.
Hissong said CSUN police are looking for a dark-skinned, slightly built man in his early 20s seen loitering in the bicycle compounds. But he said there may be more than one thief.
The bicycles generally are stolen by someone using bolt cutters to snip through locks or bicycle chains, Hissong said. The thief then pedals off campus on the stolen bike.
On most days, 250 to 300 bicycles can be found on campus, Hissong said. At least two officers patrol the campus at all times, he said.
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