A total of four bicycles were reported stolen from the River Cluster and the Asian Studies Center on North Main Street sometime after 9:30 p.m. Monday night, and the total could rise as more cases are reported.
Safety and Security Crime Prevention Officer Rebel Roberts said the four thefts are probably connected.
The stolen bicycles have a total value of $1,500, which would make the crime a Class A felony, said Detective-Sergeant Frank Moran of the Hanover Police Department.
The culprit could face up to 15 years of incarceration as well as a fine of up to $4,000, he said.
Roberts said she is not sure if the four bicycles were the only ones stolen Monday evening.
"People don't notice right away," she said. "We may have continuous reports coming in about more stolen bicycles."
In the wake of the thefts, Roberts advised students to take all possible precautions with their bikes.
Roberts said all four of the bicycles were locked only to themselves using U-locks, and advised students to lock their bikes to permanent objects.
If students lock their bicycle to itself, a thief can easily remove the bike from campus and then attempt to break the lock -- which can be a time consuming process, she said.
Roberts also said it is especially important for students to be careful with bicycle theft prevention as the warm weather approaches.
Roberts said there are usually "a couple" of bike thefts a week and the number tends to escalate as the weather improves.
Moran said catching the perpetrators of a bike theft depends on "some good fortune" at the start, such as witnesses to the crime, evidence left at the scene of the crime and well-kept records of ownership and serial numbers.
All of those things increase the police's chances of "interrupting the crime or making an arrest right there," he said.
Neither Roberts nor Moran would speculate as to the motive of the thefts.
Moran said in past bike theft cases, the thieves have been using the bicycles for "personal use" rather than "stealing a truckload of bikes and then chopping them up" and selling them for parts.
If students choose not to lock their bikes outside, the Office of Residential of Life offers bike racks for installation in residence hall rooms, Roberts said.
Students can also help prevent campus bicycle theft by reporting suspicious individuals to Safety and Security, she said.
"We will come and check the report out," Roberts said. "Students can even make an anonymous report if they would feel more comfortable."
Students are also encouraged to register their bicycles with Safety and Security, she said. Two of the four stolen bicycles were registered, Roberts said.
