LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Car theft is going up in Louisville, but not all vehicles are created equal.
Some cars are more likely to be stolen than others.
Everyone these days typically has access to a standard phone charger. In fact, one may even be within arm's reach as you're reading this story.
Police say that could be all a thief needs to steal your car, thanks to viral post on social media.
"Social media is powerful, especially when it comes to younger people," explained Maj. Shannon Lauder of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
That single "how to" social media post has proven to be both powerful and dangerous, causing major headaches for hundreds of Louisville drivers in recent months.
According to LMPD data, there were more than 3,200 cars that were reported stolen from January to mid-October of last year. While all major manufacturers were on the list, two stand out to police as being particularly susceptible to theft.
"Since Sept. 1, over 1/3 of the vehicles stolen in Louisville Metro are Kias and Hyundais," said Lauder.
In the first half of 2022, fewer than 100 Kias and Hyundais were stolen, but by Oct. 13, Kias saw thefts rise by 57% and Hyundais by 26%.
The root cause was a viral video that police say points out a security flaw in certain types of Kias and Hyundais that allows a thief to start the cars with just a USB.
"Social media: somebody puts it out so everybody's got to try it," said Lt. Col. Steve Healey of the Louisville Metro Police Department. "We did see an increase in car thefts and auto thefts. It was right about the time that video started coming out."
Kias made between 2011 and 2021 and Hyundais made between 2015 and 2021 are the most at risk.
According to LMPD data, cars in certain neighborhoods are also being targeted more than others. From January to October of 2022, each division saw hundreds of thefts.
The most reports came from the Third, Fourth and Sixth Divisions. The Fourth Division had the highest total with 583, the Third Division had 518 and the Sixth had 456.
Those LMPD divisions cover the following neighborhoods:
The Third Division:
- Auburndale
- Fairdale
- Iroquois
- Iroquois Park
- Kenwood Hill
- PRP
- Southland Park
- Southside
- Yorktown
- Valley Station
The Fourth Division:
- Beechmont
- Cloverleaf
- Fairgrounds
- Germantown
- Hazelwood
- Iroquois
- Jacobs
- Limerick
- Merriweather
- Old Louisville
- Paristown
- Schnitzelburg
- Shelby Park
- Smoketown Jackson
- South Louisville
- Taylor Berry
- University
- Wilder Park
- Wyandotte
The Sixth Division:
- Audubon
- Avondale Melbourne Heights
- Bashford Manor
- Bon Air
- Bowman
- Camp Taylor
- Edgewood
- Fairgrounds
- Gardiner Lane
- George Rogers Clark Park
- Hawthorne
- Hayfield Dundee
- Highland Park
- Hikes Point
- Klondike
- Newburg
- Poplar Level
- Prestonia
- Saint Joseph
- Schnitzelburg
- Standiford
- Watterson Park
Across all the divisions, the monthly breakdown for auto thefts from Jan. 1 to Oct. 13, 2022 is as follows:
- January - 390
- February - 308
- March - 350
- April - 310
- May - 352
- June - 330
- July - 396
- August - 364
- September - 321
- October (through 13th) - 170
Police recommend steering wheel locks and tracking devices to keep vehicles safe during a spike in auto thefts.
No matter what kind of vehicle you own or where you park, police say there are a few things you can do to prevent being an easy target.
"The first sounds silly, but lock your car," Lauder said. "It's a very widespread problem of people not locking their vehicles. Also, if you can, attempt to park in a well-lit or secured area."
Police also suggest getting a steering wheel lock or some sort of tracking device.
"We've actually had people put apple air tags in their car, and when their car gets stolen, we're able to track it and recover the car very quickly," said Lauder.
From Jan. 1, 2022 until Oct. 13, 2022, 623 Ford vehicles were reported stolen, the most out of all major manufacturers. Chevrolet vehicles were reported in 479 thefts and Toyota vehicles in 243 thefts.
During that same period in 2022, 118 motorcycle thefts were also reported.
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