UMPD reports more than 70 e-scooter thefts since Sept. 1

A student travels on an e-scooter on Regents Drive on Oct. 28, 2024. (Sam Cohen/The Diamondback)

University of Maryland officials are urging community members to be more vigilant after UMPD reported more than 70 e-scooter thefts on campus since Sept. 1.

University of Maryland Police announced the latest theft numbers in a campuswide email on Oct. 19. The rise in e-scooter thefts stems from the vehicle’s growing popularity at this university, according to UMPD spokesperson Lt. Rosanne Hoaas.

E-scooters are portable, lightweight and easy to use, which makes them “appealing” for people looking to take advantage of users, Hoaas told The Diamondback.

June Cagan, a sophomore computer science major and Resident Life community assistant, said she believes the thefts are due to micromobility owners not taking care of their vehicles, rather than the scooter’s portability.

“It’s sad because bike theft has also been an issue here for a while,” Cagan said.

The Oct. 19 email also detailed the use of surveillance cameras, outlined previous solutions for the thefts and offered safety tips for e-scooter owners, such as locking scooters to bike racks, using U-shaped locks, and locking to the most secure part of the scooter.

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UMPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit has identified and charged many offenders connected to the thefts and has created a website to show e-scooter suspects and people who have been charged, according to the email.

The page was posted on Oct. 19 and is updated as new information is received, Hoaas said.

Freshman journalism major Christian Jackson said his scooter was stolen outside Cumberland Hall on Oct. 15. He discovered the theft while going to class. Initially, Jackson thought he had misplaced his scooter, but he found the lock still attached to the bike rack.

Later that day, Jackson went to this university’s Department of Transportation Services and filed a report with UMPD.

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After receiving a report, UMPD will dispatch an officer to the location of the theft or to the victim to gather more information about the situation, Hoaas said. This includes learning the scooter’s make and model, date and time when the vehicle was last seen and when a student noticed the vehicle was missing, she added.

All 450 cameras owned by UMPD’s Security Operations Center are active and monitored at all times, Hoaas explained. The cameras can help identify locations on campus where theft has increased, according to the Oct. 19 email.

DOTS also requires registration for micromobility vehicles to create a “record of ownership” that can help owners file a missing vehicle report, DOTS wrote in a statement to The Diamondback.

GPS tracking for e-scooters has helped UMPD find stolen scooters, Hoaas said.

A Resident Life spokesperson said in a statement to The Diamondback that the department’s staff are also made aware of potential thefts and help students report incidents to UMPD. The department also collaborates with UMPD for educational campaigns, according to the statement.

Resident Life staff work collaboratively with UMPD, DOTS and other campus officials to “ensure systems and resources are in place to support residents’ safety and security,” the statement read.

Moving forward, Hoaas encouraged community members to contact UMPD if they see suspicious activity, including people manipulating e-scooter locks.

“We really need our community’s help in solving these cases,” Hoaas said.