The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is another metro area dealing with rising crime rates, car theft especially has become another plague. Thieves stole 4,254 vehicles in Milwaukee in 2020, a 29% increase from the number of thefts in 2019. This reversal has countered a trend of decreasing major vehicle theft in the city since 2015. As many shops have reported, from the beginning of this year until October 18, 8,432 car owners were stolen, a turbocharger increased by nearly 172%. In summer, the increase compared to last year is even higher, at 192%. The city’s previous high was nearly 8,500 vehicle thefts in 2006; this year is on track to break 10,000 stolen cars.
Among those numbers, last fall, local police noticed car thieves starting to focus on 2011 or later Kia models and 2015 or newer Hyundai models model, the two brands have become a particular specialty ever since. One report said that Hyundai theft has increased 1.715%, That The number of thefts increased by 3,183%, with both brands accounting for two-thirds of the total thefts. However, no one is sure why; Denver is the only city in the country where Korean brands have been hanged.
It is known that vehicles without an engine immobilizer and breaking in through the rear window will not sound the alarm. Once thieves get hold of the glass, they peel back the cover of the steering column and start the car with a tool like pliers or, in some cases, the USB cable. Sometimes the same car is stolen multiple times, or police have seen several being sold for as little as $25. A local store said it would stop repair Hyundais and Kias get stolen because it can’t get to the steering column anymore, and it doesn’t want the cars sitting on its lot to be stolen again.
Authorities say the crime wave is being fueled by children, with one police department saying half of the suspects are “under the age of 16”. About the root cause there, everything was blamed – children absent from school and bored, social networks, video game “Grand Theft Auto”, system of detention of minors and parents.
The city desperately wants to control things while trying to figure out what to do about the deeper issues. Hyundai and Kia say their vehicles meet or exceed all federal standards and that their products will come standard with engine immobilizers from the 2022 model year. distributes steering wheel locks to any owner who lives, works, or attends school in the city of Milwaukee.
Frustrated owners rallied and asked Milwaukee law firm Barton Legal to file a class-action lawsuit against the Korean automakers alleging “subordinate security measures, thereby causing they’re extremely easy to steal.” The City Attorney is reviewing his own case against Hyundai and Kia under public nuisance laws. “We’ve been looking at a number of potential causes of action. We’re not involved in any lawsuits at this time,” said Deputy City Attorney Yolanda McGowan, but the office is preparing a report. Report to local politicians the pros and cons of a case.
Hyundai says owners of its products in the area with questions can call the Milwaukee Police Department to request a lock or call Hyundai.
