Hey everyone,
I live in a 200-unit complex, and we have a bike locker in the parking garage that needs a fob to access. The problem is that bikes keep disappearing, and the locks are getting cut. There are cameras all around, but they don’t seem to help much. We can see people wearing masks taking bikes, but that’s about it. I’m looking for some advice on what to do about this.
One idea is to just take your bike inside with you. Also, vertical bike racks could help save space if you’re trying to keep it inside.
Rory said:
One idea is to just take your bike inside with you. Also, vertical bike racks could help save space if you’re trying to keep it inside.
Yeah, this seems like the only real solution. It’s unfortunate but might be the safest option.
What about hiding trackers inside your bike? Might help you track it down if it gets stolen.
The garage and bike locker both require fob access.
Access control systems keep track of which fob opens which door. So whenever a fob is used, it gets logged. This means there’s probably a record of who opened the bike locker when. If you have footage of people wearing masks, check the fob logs to see who accessed the locker.
If the bike locker doesn’t have a camera, it should. Keep an eye out for someone stealing a bike and check the access logs for the fob that opened the door. Once you figure out who it was, deactivate their fob and call the cops on that person.
@Niall
It’s possible that the thieves are somehow getting in by piggybacking off someone else entering. This is a common issue in places like universities.
Baylor said:
@Niall
It’s possible that the thieves are somehow getting in by piggybacking off someone else entering. This is a common issue in places like universities.
If that’s the case, they’re bound to take their mask off at some point or not wear it. No one’s going to hold the door for someone in a ski mask. Sync all the cameras and watch the footage. Track the person from the moment they steal the bike to when they enter the building. At that point, you either have the fob logs or footage of them entering without a mask on. Then you can figure out who let them in. If that happens, send out a memo telling people to stop letting others in, because it’s being used to steal stuff.
I still think it’s unlikely they’re piggybacking into the bike lockup, though.
@Niall
LOL, yeah, probably not. But they might be messing with the door to stop it from locking properly.
@Niall
I work with these systems, and what you’re saying isn’t always the case. Some older systems don’t track access like that. They can just hand out fobs without keeping proper logs. In fact, some systems can’t even deactivate fobs remotely. It’s pretty bad. People lose their fob, and the leasing team just gives them another one without checking.
@Finley
Wow, that sounds really messed up. I’ve never heard of a system like that. It must be ancient.
Niall said:
@Finley
Wow, that sounds really messed up. I’ve never heard of a system like that. It must be ancient.
Oh yeah, it’s a total nightmare. Even if they can program fobs to specific people, they don’t do it because it’s such a hassle. The leasing team often just hands out fobs without bothering to properly set them up. Sometimes they even have to manually program each fob to every access point using an old PC. It’s just easier for them to be lazy and give out fobs without any accountability. That’s why we’re constantly replacing these systems.