ATLANTA — Atlanta police are warning e-bike and scooter owners to take extra steps to protect their rides as their popularity grows and thieves target them.

Lieutenant Carlos Maldonado with Atlanta police says there’s a simple phrase riders can remember to help prevent theft.

“The snap it, save it, and secure your ride, will help us protect your e-bikes and scooters in the unfortunate event that it gets stolen to be able to give that back to you,” Maldonado said.

He says riders should take photos of their e-bikes or scooters, including the serial number, so officers can identify them if they are stolen.

“It’s great to be able to take a picture of your e-bike or scooter so if it goes missing, the officer when they come to take the report for you has an idea of what it is and what it looks like,” Maldonado said.

Police also advise storing e-bikes and scooters in a safe location and never leaving them unsecured.

“When you’re out in public or even at home, chain up your e-bike or scooter to a safe location to secure your ride,” Maldonado said.

He adds that using locks and securing rides to something solid can help prevent theft.

“We encourage people to go ahead and use locks to secure their e-bike or scooter to a bike rack or anything else that’s solid and not easily removable,” he said.

Maldonado says hiding a GPS tracker can also help police pinpoint a stolen ride’s location.

With more people using e-bikes and scooters, police say they have become easy targets for thieves.

“Unfortunately as popular as they are, there are people out there that are trying to take advantage of the people who own e-bikes and scooters,” Maldonado said.

Atlanta police say recovering stolen e-bikes and scooters is a high priority, and they are urging riders to take precautions to protect their property.

WSB Radio’s Bill Caiaccio contributed to this story.