This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver police say bike theft has increased this summer creating a need for increased awareness of security measures. 

One metro area resident who reported his $4,000 bike stolen told the FOX31 Problem Solvers that the bike was in a locked compartment.  

“Have some sympathy and think about other people before you go out and steal something,” he said.

DPD said there were 457 reported bike thefts in July compared to 396 in the same month last year. This year’s total is already at 2,350.

Officer Jay Casillas said keeping a few simple things in mind can make a difference when it comes to protecting your property.

“Garage doors stay open, someone can easily just walk by take the bike, it’s only going to take a few seconds” he said.

Casillas said you should keep your bike inside if possible.  Use a heavy U-lock that will present a challenge for a thief with a bolt cutter.

When using your bike, park it in a populated area.

Make sure to register your bike at denvergov.org/police and take what police call a “flip snap selfie”. shared Casillas.

“Flip your bike over take a picture of your serial number then take a selfie with your bike, we can easily track it back from the person it got stolen from” Casillas said. 

Make sure your bike is insured and if your bike is stolen, make sure to contact police right away.