Bike thefts have been a recurring issue at Sonoma State University, and thus far no arrests have been made. Although, campus police believe they have identified the suspect (see notice below) as Sean Kelly.

He’s described by police as a ‘transient-looking male in his late 20s or early 30s’, was stopped earlier this semester by campus police on the creekside bike path betweenthe Sonoma State campus and Snyder Lane. 

Sgt. Clarence Jones, an officer at Sonoma State Police and Safety Services, said that the suspect has no known local address, making it much more difficult to locate the suspect. When Kelly was contacted by police earlier in the semester, no warrants were filed against him, and so his information was recorded and he was released. 

“There is more than one person involved in Sonoma State’s bike thefts,” said Jones. “Sonoma State is a target rich environment for bike thieves. With that in mind, it probably isn’t one guy’s hunting ground. It’s probably more than one bike thief, hitting here, and also hitting Rancho Cotate High, and neighboring areas where there are a lot of bicycles.”

According to Jones, bike theft is a serious and ongoing issue on campus and in the community. There have already been 10 bike thefts reported, according to Jones. There does not seem to be a pattern in the bike thefts, and, according to reports, the value of a stolen bicycle does not matter to the thieves, only the convenience of the theft. 

Cable locks are the most susceptible to theft. Jones said that it would only take thieves “a minute or so to take a bicycle off of a cable lock”. Sonoma State Police Services recommend using a ‘U-lock’ to secure bicycles to their respective racks, and to always lock both the frame and the back wheel to the rack. 

Sophomore Casey Anderson had his bicycle stolen early in the spring 2015 semester. “I can’t believe that bike theft is such a big problem here [at Sonoma State]. The next bike I buy, I’ll register it with the police immediately,” said Anderson. 

Police Services will register and engrave your bike with something unique and easily identifiable, often your driver’s license number, according to their website. 

This allows police to discern a bicycle’s owner and make it easily returnable in the event of a theft. Visit the police station or go to the police’s website to register a bicycle.