“As more people use electric scooters, scooter theft has become more common. Crosstown, a Los Angeles-based news and data nonprofit, analyzed nearly four years of LAPD crime reports and found a 129 percent increase in e-scooter thefts. The data shows that from the beginning of 2022 to November 20, a total of 539 motor vehicle crimes occurred in the city.”(1)

Scooter theft is not limited to Los Angeles, but has become a widespread problem in other cities and even the country. These thefts usually occur when electric scooters are parked in public places like streets, squares, parks, etc. Thieves may use tools to break locking mechanisms or carry the entire vehicle away for resale or personal use.

In some cities, the government and police have taken some measures to crack down on e-scooter theft. For example, strengthen patrols, increase monitoring equipment, and strengthen punishment for theft crimes. Despite these measures, e-scooter theft still exists, so as owners, we still need to take some precautions to protect our vehicles.

So, how can you prevent your electric scooter from getting stolen? 

To help you protect your e-scooter investment, we've rounded up four helpful e-scooter theft prevention strategies:

1. Use High-quality Locks

Choose locks with better safety performance, such as U-shaped locks, chain locks, or special locks for electric scooters. The lock should be strong enough to be difficult to pick or cut, making it more difficult for a thief to steal.

MUKUTA uses the NFC unlocking mode. Unlocking with an NFC card has higher security, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
(1) NFC card is a highly secure authentication method, only the cardholder can unlock the electric scooter, effectively preventing theft.
(2) The NFC card has a unique identification code, each card is unique, and it is difficult to copy, so it is difficult to be imitated.

2. Lock Fixed Objects

Lock the electric scooter to fixed objects, such as bicycle racks, railings, guardrails, etc. Make sure the chosen stationary object is strong and not easily moved, making it more difficult for thieves to remove the scooter.

3. Regularly Change The Parking Location

Avoid parking the electric scooter in the same location for a long time, change the parking location regularly, and try to choose a place with a large flow of people, also bright and well-equipped monitoring. This can reduce the chances of the electric scooter being stolen.

4. Registration

Some regions require e-scooters to be registered, which can help improve the chances of police recovering a stolen e-scooter. Please complete the registration procedures by local laws and regulations.

Combining the above measures can effectively improve the anti-theft capability of electric scooters, but it cannot eliminate theft. Therefore, when using electric scooters, it is recommended to choose the parking location and locks carefully, pay close attention to the safety status of electric scooters, and take necessary anti-theft measures in time.

Source: (1) Crosstown.LAPD Crime Dataset · Created With Datawrapper. https://xtown.la/2022/12/19/electric-scooter-thefts-soar-los-angeles/