University of Florida Police are investigating a wave of e-bike and e-scooter thefts across campus, with officials reporting the theft of 20 bikes and scooters in the last two weeks from outside dorms and classroom buildings.
Earlier this week, UF police arrested John Paul Stauff, 43, of Gainesville at a bike rack on campus. Stauff was reportedly carrying tools police said were used to cut locks. It was at least the fourth time Stauff has been arrested since January on charges of stealing scooters from campus.
Stauff, who listed his home address as a Gainesville homeless shelter, told officers he intended at the time to steal scooters, police said. He remained in the Alachua County jail Friday facing new misdemeanor theft, loitering and trespass charges.
Stauff also was seen on surveillance cameras late on the night of Sept. 23 stealing a scooter near the UF Student Health Care Center and riding away on Stadium Road, court records show. Police said they identified him by comparing the video to records of an unrelated shoplifting arrest days earlier at a convenience store across the street from campus.
Stauff also was charged with stealing a scooter from the rack outside Buckman Hall in July. Stauff was arrested the day after the theft as he was riding a different stolen scooter in downtown Gainesville, according to court records. The criminal case is pending.
In January, a student called 911 to report Stauff stealing a scooter after midnight near the Student Recreation & Fitness Center. The student told police Stauff confronted him by saying, “Do we have a problem?”
An arriving officer pulled over Stauff on the scooter, and Stauff immediately said, “It was me,” according to court records. He pleaded no contest in that case and was ordered to pay a $376 fine, which he has not done.
Most of the theft cases this semester remain under investigation by campus police, according to the university’s crime logs. One scooter was recovered with no one arrested, and detectives gave up in at least one other case with a note, “All leads exhausted.”
The popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters has grown on UF’s sprawling 2,000-acre campus with more than 900 buildings, including 170 classrooms and labs. Walking across campus can take 25 minutes in good weather, and some classes are scheduled only 10 minutes apart.
E-bikes can range in price from $200 to $1,700 depending on features and models. E-scooters can range from $150 to $800 each.
Brooke Tuttle, 18, of Dover, Florida, a freshman studying political science, said she noticed her scooter stolen Monday morning as she headed for an 8:30 a.m. class. Thieves left behind the lock she used to secure her $500 scooter to the rack.
“I probably didn’t lock it fully,” she said. “It was definitely a wake-up call.”
Tuttle said she now has to walk 20 minutes to class from her dorm. “That’s kind of annoying,” she said.
The rash of thefts has become so serious that the university emailed a warning earlier this week to all students and faculty, noting most of the recent thefts have occurred on the east side of campus and most involved vehicles that had been locked.
Crime data shows that, with three months left to the year, UF has already matched the number of reported motor vehicle thefts — most of which involved scooters — for all of 2023.
In their email this week, campus police recommended that owners use a metal U-lock to secure their bike or scooter because traditional bicycle cable locks can be cut with wire cutters, and e-scooters can be lifted through the lock.
Owners are also encouraged to register bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters in person at the Public Safety Building or with any UFPD officer on campus. Students can report criminal incidents to law enforcement by calling 911 or through the GatorSafe app.
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