Bicycle thefts recently increased around campus, and they are happening during the daytime according to University police.Although these thefts occurred during daylight hours, the thieves got away successfully due to how quickly they broke the bike locks.”[Thieves can] cut a chain or lock, and they’re on a bike in a minute or two,” said Captain Bernie Merrick of University Police in his office on Wednesday afternoon. “It happens that fast.”Point Park has “had an increase” in bike thefts this semester, Merrick said, but he did not have statistics available. Merrick added that Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University have also had recent bike thefts.The University Police, police departments at other universities and Pittsburgh police are investigating. The probe is ongoing so police are hesitant to release information that could harm the investigation, such as leads or suspects according to Merrick. The University did not have a problem with bike thefts before this semester, according to Merrick, and the bike thefts are “not a normal occurrence” for the University.All of the stolen bikes were secured with cable locks. Thieves used bolt cutters concealed in the waistband of their pants or coat sleeves to slice through cable locks. University police recommend using steel locks to secure bikes.”With bolt cutters, you can take off a [cable lock] in a second,” said James Pritchard, senior behavioral science major, near the Third Avenue bike rack on Thursday afternoon as he secured his bike to the rack. “A steel lock like a U-lock. That’s what you need.”Pritchard uses a steel U-lock and said that he is “not at all” worried about his bike being stolen.University police are running “extra patrols” on Third Avenue and are closely watching the camera near the bike racks, Merrick said. Merrick declined to comment on how often Third Avenue is being patrolled but confirmed it is more than usual.Adam Freeman, a senior photography major, had a bike stolen from the Third Avenue bike rack three years ago. Freeman reported the theft to University police, but the investigation went cold when police could not see the alledged robber’s face clearly on the security camera. Freeman’s bike was secured on the side of the rack opposite from the security camera.”When my bike was stolen a few years ago, they said they couldn’t see [the robbers] faces because it was too muddled,” said Freeman near the Third Avenue bike rack on Thursday afternoon. “They wouldn’t put a camera [on the other side]. Nothing happened with that.”When asked about the range of the security camera, Merrick said “the camera can view the bikes.”Police are also unsure what the thieves are doing with the bikes after they are stolen.Point Park police ask that any individual who uses the University’s bike racks register their bikes with the Public Safety Department. That way police will know if a bike is owned by a Point Park community member or one that was stolen and left on the University campus.Police are also asking for help in the investigation.”If you see something suspicious or unusual,” Merrick said, “or if you see someone lurking, give us a call.”Merrick said that the University police do not mind getting calls and said that calls can be made anonymously to 412-392-3960.