D.C. Is Seeing the Rise of a New Kind of Getaway Vehicle: E-Scooters

D.C. continues to struggle in cracking down on the use of a getaway car for the modern age: Lime scooters, which police say have recently been used by criminals fleeing the scene in a spate of crimes including shootings, an attempted robbery and a fatal stabbing.

That the ubiquitous lime-green, electric bikes and scooters were able to be used in crimes — with suspects still at-large — has raised questions. Lime requires users to verify their age with facial scans before each ride, and asks for government ID if there’s room for doubt.

Last year, the company slowed maximum speeds in an effort to curb the problem. And while the company doesn’t just hand over its user data, if D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department produces a warrant or subpoena, Lime has a dedicated law enforcement team that works with police to assist in investigations, a spokesperson told The Washington Sun. The company recently helped police track down suspects in both London and Chicago.

“We do not tolerate the use of our vehicles to commit crimes and stand prepared to support MPD in any investigation into these alleged incidents,” Erika Duthely, Lime’s regional head of government relations, told The Sun. “Would-be criminals in D.C. should understand that if they use a GPS-tracked Lime vehicle to break the law, MPD can subpoena this information in their investigations.”

A spokesperson for MPD said it “works closely with all private businesses in the district to keep our community safe,” exploring “every avenue that may assist in identifying and apprehending suspects in criminal cases.”

In some instances, MPD has shared that suspects fleeing on Lime’s scooters were under the age of 18. Lime restricts use of its scooters to adults, and this spring rolled out an AI feature that performs facial recognition scans before each ride. Thousands of rides, a Lime spokesperson said, have been blocked due to suspected underage riding since then.

Clearly, plenty of kids are still figuring out how to skirt the rules.

“We’ve spent much of 2026 working to better prevent underage riding and to crack down on anyone allowing underage riding on their accounts,” Duthely said.

The company continues to try and tackle the problem, and a spokesperson pointed out that misuse of its vehicles accounts for a small fraction of the 4.5 million rides D.C. residents have embarked on.

This fall, the company is rolling out another feature in D.C.: using sensors on e-scooters to identify “prohibited riding behavior, including burnouts, jumps, and skidding,” according to a press release. Repeated behavior like that will result in fines, account suspensions or expulsion from the app.

It’s part of a wider investment Lime is making in the city: The company recently announced that it has invested more than $17 million in D.C. initiatives, which includes refreshing its fleet of 8,000 vehicles.

“We’re intent on serving Washington D.C. for years to come and we will continue to emphasize equitable access to our vehicles, aim to deliver the highest standard of operational excellence, encourage safe riding and proper parking, provide top-of-the-line hardware and technology, and sustain a robust team equipped to serve the nation’s capital,” Lime CEO Wayne Ting said in a press release.