Thieves may have figured a way around the Kia locking system.
The Denver Police Department (DPD) recently issued a warning via social media for those who own Kias. According to a Facebook post, over 100 Kias have been reported stolen so far in 2019. However, at least a third of those were stolen in November alone.
"Attention Kia owners: As of this past Tuesday, 135 Kia’s have been reported stolen this year, and 45 of those reports come in the month of November," said a December 6 Facebook post.
That's an uptick from October, which saw 19 reported stolen, and a huge increase over the monthly average of seven reports early in the year. The DPD says the most common Kia stolen over the years are the Optima, Sorento, and Sportage. This is a departure from the usual top stolen vehicles in the Denver area, which are Jeeps, pickups, older model Hondas.
The areas with the most Kia reported thefts are Districts 1 (northwest), 3 (southeast), and 4 (southwest).
"With this increase, we want to remind Kia owners to take precautions to protect their vehicle from theft – here are some tips," says the post.
- Always lock your car, roll up the windows, and take your keys.
- Never leave belongings in your car. Anything is valuable to a criminal.
- Never leave the car running unattended, even for a short period. Criminals are looking for unattended cars to use in committing other crimes.
- Park in well-lit and busy areas, which makes it harder for bad guys to break in or steal your car.
- Use an alarm system and/or steering wheel lock device, so your vehicle is less tempting to steal.
You can follow along with DPD updates on a variety of incidents on its Facebook page or Twitter account.
Have you been one of the unfortunate Kia owners who had their car stolen? Let us know in the comments.
