Kia, Hyundai Car Thefts On The Rise In St. Petersburg: Police

ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg detectives have noticed “an unusual trend” in car thefts this month.

Not only are car thefts on the rise, most of the stolen vehicles were Kia or Hyundai models, the St. Petersburg Police Department shared on its Facebook page.

Since July 11, 56 cars were stolen in the city. Twenty-three of them — about 41 percent of all car thefts in the past two weeks — were Kias or Hyundais, police said.

Thieves are using a technique to break into the steering column to start the cars and take them, SPPD said. Kia and Hyundai models from 2021 and older are targeted because they use an inserted key rather than a push-button ignition.

“We strongly urge anyone with a Kia or Hyundai that uses a key, to please lock your car doors to deter thieves,” police said.