The Hartford Police Department is urging people to be extra cautious when it comes to protecting their cars. This comes in light of a record number of stolen cars in the city this year.
So far, 902 cars have been stolen; that’s compared to 443 at this point last year. The frequency has more than doubled and police say it’s not just Hartford.
“A lot of vehicles are stolen in Hartford and recovered in another town and vice versa. Some are stolen out of town and recovered in Hartford,” Lieutenant Aaron Boisvert said.
Boisvert describes this as a nationwide problem and explains that an auto theft task force is operating in eight area towns to address the issue.
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Over the last year, that task force has helped make 195 arrests, and there are some commonalities.
“About 50% of those are juveniles,” Boisvert said.
Hartford police say much of the thefts could be due to a viral social media trend. There are circulating videos exploiting the vulnerabilities of electronic starting systems, specifically on some Kia and Hyundai models.
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Kia and Hyundai have both recalled some models, offering to upgrade software related to key-fob technology. Hartford police are also offering anti-theft devices known as “The Club,” free of charge, to any Hartford resident who owns one of the vulnerable Kia and Hyundai models. The device locks the steering wheel and makes the car undriveable.
It’s not just cars being targeted, according to one car dealer. Jason McCormick owns Good Guys Auto House of Southington and says they’ve been hit several times - thieves mainly stealing wheels and tires.
“They’re easy to sell. They can put them on Facebook marketplace, get $500 to $800 for them the next day,” McCormick said.
As auto-related thefts become more prevalent, police advise people to be sure their cars are locked and never keep the key fob inside the car unattended.
