E-scooter thefts continue at Towson University

By Sabrina Tevolini, Contributing Writer

Electric scooters are a popular mode of transportation at Towson University, but an uptick in thefts has left some students without their transportation. 

Some 19 e-scooters were stolen on Towson’s campus from Aug. 25 to Oct. 3, according to a Freedom of Information Act request The Towerlight obtained. Joe Herring, Towson University’s police chief, said Towson is working closely with the Baltimore County Police Department to catch the thieves.  

“We have attributed a majority of them to four individuals,” Herring said. “Those individuals have been charged where applicable and there is still an ongoing investigation.”

Four of the scooters have been located and returned to their owners, according to Herring. 

Herring said these are thefts of opportunity because a student’s property was left unattended. In some cases the locking devices were broken into, but in those cases the locks were not made for the scooters. 

Ani’jah Hammon, a student at Towson University whose scooter was stolen, said she has a heart condition and needs the scooter to get around campus. When her e-scooter went missing, she wasn’t able to walk across campus to get to her car and was forced to sleep at her friend’s dorm. 

Her scooter looked just like all the others, but it was passcode protected. Although, that didn’t deter the thief from taking the e-scooter. 

“They couldn’t turn it on, the scooter locks up until you put the code in there,” Hammon said. 

Hammon filed a report with TUPD, but wasn’t able to get the scooter back. She said she was told it was too dark for the cameras to catch who stole her scooter. 

Herring said there will be more information on the crime prevention website regarding e-scooter thefts. He recommended students purchase a good lock designed for these devices, and to use the bike racks to store the scooters.