An uptick of electric scooter and bike thefts around UNC campus led to university police warning students to protect their mini motor vehicles.

An Alert Carolina shared Friday said the UNC Police Department is investigating the thefts, with a department spokesperson confirming to Chapelboro a combined 26 electric bikes and scooters were reported stolen between Jan. 1 and Mar. 21. Two others have since been reported as well since the alert, according to the UNC crime log, and 13 have been reported in the month of March.

According to the Alert Carolina and the crime log — which tracks 911 calls and reports to the police department — the thefts have ranged from residence halls, academic buildings, and the UNC Hospitals campus. Many of the recent investigations are still open, with UNC Police saying there are presently no suspects in the thefts.

With the popularity of electric scooters and bicycles rising in recent years, so have the frequency of thefts. UNC Police have shared past Alert Carolinas to warn students about strings of thefts, including 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

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

Campus police said Friday 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.

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