Scooter thefts surge in DC, Metro Transit Police reports

Scooters are a great way to get from point A to point B.

That is if thieves don’t steal them first.

Metro Transit Police officials published a video on social media this week, noting that scooter thefts are on the rise. They told FOX 5 they’ve handled reports of 28 scooter thefts so far in 2024, which is a 22 percent increase from the same period the year before.

A man rides an electric scooter among the cars on May 28, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna-Rose GASSOT / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANNA-ROSE GASSOT/AFP via Getty Images)

Now, they’re urging scooter owners to use U-locks to keep their scooters safe when locked up.

"They got the right idea," Skylar White told FOX 5 Wednesday at Dupont Circle, adding that she now uses a U-lock on her scooter – after her last one was stolen in D.C.

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"I think it’s devastating," White said of the thefts. "They’re not cheap, and they’re great modes of transportation. So, to hear that they’re just going missing isn’t great. I hope that whoever’s taking them needs the money."

Metro Transit Police officials also said that in an effort to deter the thefts, they’re conducting additional patrols.