PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland is known as a bicycle-friendly city but, unfortunately, with a high number of bikes comes a high number of bike thefts.

The Portland Police Bureau's Bike Theft Task Force recovered a stolen bicycle from under a Northeast Portland overpass, April 18, 2019. (PPB BTTF)

A special team of officers with the Portland Police Bureau are dedicated to reuniting victims with their stolen bikes.

The PPB Bike Theft Task Force said Thursday that it’s recovered nearly $90,000 of stolen bicycles since the start of 2019.

For Portland residents, the frequent theft of bicycles is nothing new. It’s an especially common concern in Northeast Portland in an area dubbed “the cage.”

It’s located beneath the overpass at Northeast 33rd and I-84. Everything from bike parts and entire missing bikes to carts and syringes wind up at the cage.

Sam Deitle works across the street from the overpass. He told KOIN 6 News he’s been to the cage before to search for his own missing bike wheel after he left his bike in front of the store at night.

“I went down there and there were hundreds of different parts, wheels, tires,” said Deitle.

The Bike Theft Task Force carried out a sweep of the cage on Thursday. Among the chaotic assortment of items, officers found a $1,000 bike and returned it to its owner.

Another recovered bicycle returned to the owner. As of today, BTTF has recovered almost $90,000 worth of stolen bicycles for 2019 so far. Please register your bike so we can return it if it is ever stolen! @project529 @PortlandPolice @KonaBicycleCo @Garage529 pic.twitter.com/Ovbieeucm9— PPB BTTF (@PPBBikeTheft) April 18, 2019

Deitle said he’s glad the camp is clear — for now.

“I’m glad people will hopefully get some of their stuff back,” he said. “Those bikes and those parts belong to somebody.”

Portland police officers urged all bike owners to register their bikes so if a bike is ever stolen, it stands a better chance of being recovered and returned.