Riding the Risk: Understanding College Campus Bicycle Theft with a Mixed-Methods Approach

• In Event: A New Look Into Public Disturbances

Abstract

Many college students in the United States use bicycles regularly as a mode of sustainable transportation. Some college campuses report large portions of their student body using bicycles in some capacity. However, bicycle theft, a uniquely understudied type of property crime, often leaves cyclists without their primary means of transportation. Using incident-level police data (2016 - 2024) and victim interview data across three diverse campuses (rural, college town, urban/medical) in a midwestern state, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine temporal-spatial patterns of bicycle theft and associated effects on victims and campus life. Preliminary analysis of the data has revealed the prevalence of distinctive hotpots on each campus. Thus, the data will be assessed for repeat and near-repeat patterns of bicycle theft in time and space. Along with this, the qualitative data analysis will combine survey results and in-depth interviews with victims of bicycle theft on each campus. Semi-structured interviews will offer insights into the risk and impact of victimization, as well as the responses of owners and police to the thefts. Study limitations and policy implications will be discussed.

Authors

• Jordan Isaac Cline, University of Nebraska Omaha

• Ling Ren, University of Nebraska Omaha