Image via Instagram / 414HypeHouse
The City of Milwaukee has seen an epidemic of car theft this summer, and thanks to social media, the events have largely transpired in plain sight. Two specific auto manufacturers have come under fire in correlation with the rash of theft, as videos of joyrides in Kia and Hyundai cars have become nothing short of prominent on local social media.
At the core of the issue are the designs of the anti-theft systems on the import cars. Once the steering column is exposed, the cars do not need their key fobs present to be started, a major security flaw that is prevented in designs from other manufacturers. In fact, thieves merely need to utilize a mechanism with a USB cord to make off with a car, which has become well shared knowledge in the city. Some recorded thefts have taken place in as little as 90 seconds.
While the car theft spike began in November of 2020, a new wrinkle has been added throughout the summer, as videos began circulating of joyrides in stolen cars, each trying to outdo the last in terms of recklessness. The thieves have been given the nickname “Kia Boyz” because of the frequency that the manufacturer’s cars appear in said videos. Along with several clips of Hyundais being driven recklessly throughout the streets of Milwaukee, the videos have taken on a life of their own, garnering viral infamy in the process.
A quick search for #kiaboyz on Instagram will bring you up to speed on some of the antics surrounding the stolen cars. Even moreso, viral account 414HypeHouse has been known to post follower-submitted videos of the joyrides frequently, mostly from bystanders that pull their phone out to document the events rather than report them. In the past week alone, six videos of stolen cars have been shared by the account, including dangerous clips of cars driving through high school campuses with hundreds of students around. Similar accounts have only helped to create a buzz surrounding the thefts, which garner thousands of views online.
Response from the City
While there have been efforts made to curb the Kia Boyz, the trend continues to circulate online. Alderwoman Milele Coggs and Alderman Khalif Rainey have written to the heads of Kia and Hyundai to address manufacturing concerns regarding the anti-theft systems, in a pair of letters that were issued to the Milwaukee Common Council this past July. The letters cited a 181% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts in Milwaukee compared to 2020. A legislation had also been introduced to the Milwaukee Police Department and the Office of the City Attorney, inviting them to provide testimony as to what can be done to prevent the thefts. Alderwoman Nikiya Dodd co-sponsored the file.
|
|
In a more direct approach to protect Kias and Hyundais, the car manufacturers are giving away vehicle locks to Milwaukeeans throughout the remainder of the year. On Tuesday, the UWM Police Department issued an email to all students directing them to pick up locks at Sandburg Hall on the East Side campus. The email also advised students to be vigilant of their surroundings when parking their cars. Steering wheel locks have also been made available at all district police stations in the city.
In all honesty, it appears that only the ebbs and flows of social media will truly slow down the joyriding phenomenon. As social media trends come and go, eventually stealing cars will become less popular, possibly as early as the winter. Until then, maybe exercise a bit more caution than usual when parking your car.
