North Texas Daily

The UNT police department partnered with the We Mean Green Fund to issue out free U-locks  — a solid lock in the shape of a “u,” that retails for $45 each — to UNT students with a valid university-issued ID. There are currently no U-locks currently available due to high on-campus demand.

The next shipment of 400 U-locks is set to be delivered within the next 60 days from the manufacturer in China.

Sgt. and Community Relations officer Kevin Crawford said most students tend to buy cable locks to keep their bikes secure on campus. Average cable locks are a thin cable wire and can be cut with a “good set” of bolt cutters.

“When you look at like a chain, or particularly these U-locks, they are solid pieces of steal and take a lot more work to get through,” Crawford said. “You would almost have to use a power tool to get through a U-lock.”

Some students have turned to riding bikes around campus to reduce or eliminate their parking woes.

Psychology junior Alexandra Loftin likes the idea of the UNT police department handing out free u-locks for the purpose of preventing bike theft on campus. Loftin rides her own personal bike on campus and uses a cable lock, wrapping it around both tires, the bike frame and the bike pedals.

“Having a lock for your bike is incredibly important for preventing theft, especially if you leave your bike alone for long periods of time,” Loftin said.

The U-lock project started in spring 2016 during UNT Earth Day festivities,after Crawford heard a student’s story about fear of his bike being stolen. Then Crawford contacted the We Mean Green Fund to work on a method to prevent bike theft on campus.

“What motivated me to push harder was when I did a presentation and a student approached me,” Crawford said. “They talked to me about how they wished they could ride their bike on campus but they were scared.”

Emily Bilcik, We Mean Green Fund and student sustainability project coordinator, said the We Mean Green Fund is a great outlet for anyone on campus to become involved and take charge of sustainability efforts at UNT.

“The bike theft prevention project is just one example of how the UNT community has worked towards making sustainable lifestyle behaviors easier for everyone to partake in,” Bilcik said.

There is not an allocated budget for the locks, Crawford said. Each shipment purchased has to go before the Mean Green Fund Committee in order to have a proposal to fund the program approved. From there, the committee votes behind closed doors on whether or not to grant funding.

Since the project started, a total of 1,000 locks have been purchased, including the upcoming shipment that is set to arrive in October, Crawford said.