OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Thieves have caught up with the technology, which is why police have turned to an old-fashioned tool in hopes of stopping car thefts in Oakland County.
Most recently, Metro Detroit has seen two different kinds of auto theft:
- High-tech, where the thieves use electronic tablets to unlock and drive away with your vehicle
- Low-tech, simple tampering with Kia and Hyundai models without push-button ignitions
As prevalent as auto theft is in Metro Detroit, the best way to prevent your vehicle from getting stolen is to make it difficult for the thief to get in and get away quickly.
So having a steering wheel lock, while a pain in the neck, is undoubtedly helpful, especially if you can get one for free.
The TikTok Kia Challenge is a social media phenomenon spiking Kia and Hyundai thefts. They are sister carmakers.
Jeremy Bastyr, who works at Local 4 found his Hyundai damaged by inept thieves who couldn’t get away with his SUV but certainly did costly damage.
“I was kind of shocked that it happened and was upset,” said Bastyr.
Kia and Hyundai have issued recalls on their vehicles without an engine immobilizer (the press button start). But, with two million vehicles on the road, the recalls could drag on with middling results.
So the company told police departments to request steering wheel locks and can hand them out to Kia and Hyundai drivers.
Detective Lt. Andrew Hadfield says Berkley residents can get one of these wheel locks.
“We’re asking residents to bring in their registration to show that they have a Kia or a Hyundai, and we’ll be happy to provide them,” said Hadfield.
The Berkley Police Department took delivery on boxes full of wheel locks. They have 50 available now.
Berkley’s only seen one of those kinds of thefts over the past year. The dozen other thefts they’ve seen make for a cautionary tale of simple and money-saving safety habits.
“Most of our stolen cars come from people that leave the keys in the cars, so just not doing that is a huge saving,” Hadfield said. “The other way is to lock the car doors and use security features such as these locks.”
In addition to Berkley, there are many other police departments with the wheel lock program available.
For instance, St. Clair Shores, Royal Oak, Oak Park, and even the Michigan State Police North Post have the locks. Your department may have them too. You will want to call ahead and see.
Click here to see if your Kia is on the recall list.
More: Free steering wheel locks issued for Hyundai, Kia owners in Oak Park
