A new report lists Milwaukee as the 8th worst city in the US for car theft. We knew it was bad, but I don’t think anyone knew it was this bad.
Here’s Five Fast Facts for Milwaukee’s Car Theft Epidemic:
- 🚗VIN - In 2021 alone, there were 10,477 stolen cars, compared to 4,507 in 2020. That’s a 132% increase.
- 🏎️Car Alarm - Roughly 66% of the cars stolen are Kias and Hyundais because they don’t require a key fob to start the engine. It has given rise to a theft ring calling themselves the Kia Boys. And like Honey Badgers, these guys don’t give a s##t.
- 🚘Hottest Cities - Other cities on the list are in states including California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, and Montana.
- 🚓Send in the CAT - Police have started handing out free steering wheel locks (like The Club) as well as its Catch Auto Thieves Program (CAT). CAT gives residents a sticker for their car if they don’t drive it from 1 - 5 am. Police can then pull over cars with those stickers for any reason during that time.
- 📉Running on Empty - It’s not all doom and gloom. Thefts are actually down by 18% this year (so far). Part of that may have to do with Hyundai installing immobilizers on all their new vehicles.
🔥Bottom line: Since word is out about the Kia/Hyundai exploit, there’s not much you can do to prevent theft, aside from the usual common sense steps. Above all else, be smart about where, when, and how you park. Hopefully both Hyundai and Kia are coming up with some preventative measures of their own.
Has your car been stolen? Are you just reacting to the headline without reading this article?
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