Atlanta police are investigating a rash of scooter thefts, including a scooter that was taken from a rider traveling Wednesday night.
The thefts are the latest in a string of break-ins and robberies that have targeted vehicles in East Atlanta.
Since July 18, cops say five scooters have been stolen and one hijacked. Thieves stole the scooters either from the driveways of homes or apartment parking lots. In some cases, the scooters were chained, police say.
Police say a rider was traveling around 10 p.m. Wednesday when five people ages 17 to 21 forced the rider off the bike and stole it.
“We see this every summer,” said Bill Gornto, who has been selling scooters for eight years and owns Twist ‘N’ Scoot. He said the thefts are driven partly by higher gas prices and parking fees.
“The last couple of years in particular have gotten very bad,” said Gornto, whose two dealerships in Midtown and Decatur sell an average of 300 scooters a year.
New scooters can cost as little as $800 to as much as $8,000, Gornto said. The majority sold around Atlanta have small engines, with top speeds of 40 to 45 mph. Since the engines are 50cc or less, state law doesn’t require them to be registered, have a vehicle tag or carry insurance. “CC” refers to cubic centimeters -- the higher the cc, the more powerful the engine. Scooters with larger engines must have tags and be insured because they are considered to be motorcycles, Gornto said.
Unlike many vehicles that are carjacked, scooters are seldom stripped for parts, Gornto said. He said thieves often end up riding the scooters themselves and sometimes are caught on them.
“They’ll ride them around town like it’s theirs,” Gornto said.
The scooters also aren’t difficult to steal if they are not secured with reliable locks, which can cost $40 to $100. Gornto said many are hot-wired on site or loaded onto trucks and carried off.
Scooters have vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, and police urge owners to record them to make it easier for them to be traced to their owner.
Atlanta police say at least one of the recent thefts in Atlanta may have been caught on surveillance camera.
The thefts occurred on Gilbert Street SE on July 18; E. Confederate Avenue SE on July 18; LaFrance Street NE on July 19; Vaughn Street SE on July 22; Virginia Avenue NE on July 23; and Parkway Drive NE on July 27, when the robbery occurred.
Scooters are the latest targets of thieves who have broken into dozens of vehicles in recent weeks, including 16 vehicles in Buckhead in the predawn hours Wednesday. On July 17, police reported at least 30 cars had been broken into overnight in Buckhead.
Cops urge anyone with information about the scooter thefts to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, or Atlanta police in Zone 6 at 404-371-5002 or Zone 5 at 404-658-6445.
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