Our highest crime on campus is theft – mostly of unattended or improperly secured items. Electronics and bicycles are especially high target items. Learn how to secure your belongings and register them to make sure that if they are stolen, we can help return them to their rightful owner.
Register your electronics
Items like laptops, cellphones and tablets are just a few of the electronics that you can register with us to make sure that if they are recovered, we know they belong to you.
To register your devices with the UW Police, you’ll need:
- Device description
- Serial number
- MAC address
Register your electronics with UWPD
Register your bike
UW Police partners with the bicycling community, retailers, city agencies and other university departments to reduce bike theft through education, awareness, and enforcement. Bicycle theft is one of the most common crimes on campus, but through our efforts–and your help, we can make our community a model for bicycle security.
Register your bike with UWPD and Bike Index
Tips on how to keep your bike safe
TIP #1
Register & Identify
Register your bike. Knowing your serial number makes it easier to return your bike to you if it ever gets lost or stolen.
If your serial number has worn off or the bike never had a serial number, engrave an owner id on your bike. Use an engraving tool to apply an owner id, such as your driver’s license number (never use your social security number). Engraving tools can be borrowed from the UWPD; call 206-543-0507 to learn more.
TIP #2
Lock
- Use a u-lock. The vast majority of bikes stolen on campus are locked with weak cable locks. U-locks might cost a little more, but it’s worth it.
- Lock your bike correctly. Secure the lock through at least one wheel and the frame. Locking a quick-release wheel (but not the frame) to a rack is a good way to get your bike stolen.
- Check into getting access to a bike locker or bike cage. Lockers and cages have limited availability and require a fee.
TIP #3
Report
- Call 911. If you see suspicious activity around bike racks, give us a call. This is the most frequent way we catch thieves in the act. Calling from a cell phone? If the suspicious activity is occurring on campus, request that the dispatcher transfer you to the UWPD.
- Make a police report when your bike is stolen. We can’t help if we don’t know about it.
- Make an anonymous tip. If you know something about a crime but wish to remain anonymous, you can call the UWPD on its tipline at 206-685-8477.
UWPD is here to help
The UW Police has a crime prevention awareness campaign, and we continue to promote bicycle registration. Our partnership with Seattle Police Department helps us spread awareness and helps support enforcement through information sharing. UWPD patrol officers focus their time in high bike theft areas and continue to identify and arrest prolific offenders while detectives follow up to recover stolen bicycles and collaborate with the prosecutor in filing cases.
Thank you for your partnership!
Electronics registration form
The information you provide on this form is used to register your electronic device with the UWPD. This registration service is for personally-owned equipment ONLY. If you want to register UW-owned equipment you should contact the UW Equipment Inventory Office at eio@uw.edu for more information.