There have been 14 reports of electric scooter thefts filed across the Claremont Colleges in just over two months, according to an email statement from The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), prompting renewed conversations about campus property security and preventive measures.
Students from multiple campuses have reported missing or damaged scooters near residence halls, classroom buildings and parking racks. Some scooters were taken, while others showed evidence of tampering, such as cut locks or loosened components.
TCCS said that no consistent pattern has been identified regarding location, time or method of the incidents. In response, officers have increased patrols around bicycle racks, bike corrals and other areas where scooters are frequently parked. Campus-dedicated officers have also been assigned to monitor these locations as part of their regular patrols.
Electric scooters are a frequently used form of transportation around the 5Cs and are commonly seen parked near residence halls, academic buildings and dining spaces. Many students rely on them to efficiently commute between campuses. Their convenience, however, makes them a frequent target for theft. Many models are lightweight, easy to lift and have removable parts that are difficult to trace once resold.
To help students better protect their property, TCCS has issued several recommendations, including using a sturdy U-lock or heavy-duty chain to secure both the frame and a wheel to a fixed rack, parking in designated scooter or bike areas away from isolated or poorly lit spots, removing detachable accessories, activating built-in alarms or GPS tracking features if available and recording the make, model and serial number of each scooter.
Students are also urged to immediately report suspicious activity near bike or scooter racks, and to remain vigilant, even if leaving scooters unattended for only a short time.
In addition to increasing patrols, Campus Safety documents all theft-related incidents in formal case reports, which are shared with the Claremont Police Department. Public safety bulletins are posted on the Campus Safety website to raise awareness. If incident patterns are identified, they are reviewed in daily officer briefings and patrols are adjusted accordingly. In the event of broader safety concerns, Campus Safety may issue Everbridge alerts to notify the 5C community with relevant updates and prevention tips.
The Claremont Colleges’ open-campus structure has made these incidents more complex to address. The shared, accessible layout allows easy movement between campuses, but also makes it difficult to restrict access to residential and parking areas. Campus Safety operates across all five colleges, but monitoring such a large and interconnected space remains a logistical challenge.
For students, the financial impact can be significant. Electric scooters typically cost between $400 and $1,000, and attempted thefts often result in broken locks, damaged wheels or battery issues that require costly repairs.
“Having to spend $300 on a scooter that might disappear the next day is something I can’t do,” Powell Malina CM ’26, whose scooter was stolen last spring, said on why he didn’t repurchase after the theft.
Another student, Sebastian A. Garcia Gutierrez PO ’29, said his scooter was stolen earlier this semester while parked beside Carnegie Hall at Pomona College.
“The area where mine got stolen doesn’t have a camera pointing at it, and my friend’s got stolen the day before in the same place,” Garcia Gutierrez said. “It seems like they target spots without cameras and scooters with chain locks because they’re easier to cut.”
Garcia Gutierrez said his experience reporting the theft left him dissatisfied with the institutional response.
“When I filed the report, the campus security guy laughed at me in front of my friends,” he said. “He told me, ‘Just so you know, we never retrieve them.’ Since then, I haven’t heard anything back.”
“When I filed the report, the campus security guy laughed at me in front of my friends,” Gutierrez said. “He told me, ‘Just so you know, we never retrieve them.’ Since then, I haven’t heard anything back.”
He also said he knows of another student whose stolen scooter was caught on camera, but, according to him, “nothing happened.”
Malina said that when his scooter was stolen, he went to the Dean of Students, but ultimately received a similar outcome.
“I recall scouring Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for weeks, looking for my scooter because I felt that was my only hope of either getting it back or finding the person responsible,” he said.
Garcia Gutierrez added that he believes additional security measures could help.
“Adding scooter storage inside buildings and cameras where we park them would make students feel safer,” he said.
TCCS emphasized that prevention remains the most effective strategy and continues to assess campus safety needs based on daily activity reports.
As reports continue and safety discussions expand across the consortium, both students and administrators are focusing on how to reduce theft while maintaining the accessibility that defines the 5C experience.
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