At least seven reports of stolen e-scooters, bicycles, and e-bikes in the month of October led UNC Police to issue a campus-wide alert warning of the thefts.

The university shared an Alert Carolina message Tuesday morning, saying campus police are investigating “multiple thefts” of scooters and bikes across several spots on campus. Police said no suspect descriptions are available at this time and did not indicate whether the thefts are connected.

According to the UNC Police Crime Log, which tracks 911 calls to the campus department, a pair of e-scooter thefts were reported at Granville Towers on Sunday and Monday — with five other reports of similar stolen motor vehicles at Carmichael, Craige and Parker Residence Halls, Greenlaw Hall and Fetzer Gym since Oct. 1.

The thefts are just the latest to happen on the Chapel Hill campus with the rise in popularity of electric scooters and bikes in recent years. UNC Police warned of similar thefts in March, with a rash of thefts reported in  in Nov. 2022 and Sep. 2023.

UNC requires electric scooter-users on campus to park their motor vehicles in designated areas and to register them through the campus Transportation & Parking Department. The university says doing so, as well as using a U-lock or other secure devices when storing a scooter, should help prevent thefts or aid recovery efforts in case they are lost. While registering e-bikes is not required, the university encourages owners to still do it because it improves authorities ability to recover it if stolen.

Additional safety tips shared by the university include:

  • Using a secondary lock for the wheels of the vehicles
  • Choosing well-lit or popular areas to park e-bikes and scooters next to each other
  • Installing a GPS tracker on the e-bike or e-scooter
  • Modifying the bike or scooter with unique identifiers, like stickers or accessories, which makes it harder to sell

More e-scooter safety information through UNC can be found here, and bicycle safety information can be found here.

Campus police said Tuesday anyone with information potentially helpful to the ongoing investigation is encouraged to call the Criminal Investigations Division at 919-966-2120. If anyone notices “suspicious activity” around bike racks or the scooter parking areas, they are encouraged to call 911 immediately.

 

Photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.

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