MEMPHIS, Tenn. — ABC24 is all about keeping you safe. Car thefts are on the rise, and according to Memphis Police, they average about 20 auto thefts per day and about 800 stolen cars per month.
Kias, Hyundais, and Infinitis account for a lot of stolen vehicles in Memphis.
Police investigators said the number of stolen cars in the city would be down to about 5,600 for the year, if not counting those popular vehicles, which was average over the past several years.
Police blame a lot of the recent auto theft on the TikTok Kia Challenge, which shows people how to break into and start a car.
Kias and Hyundais account for 3,300 cars that have been stolen.
A resident whose car was almost stolen spoke about the increase in auto thefts.
“There’s more and more kind of models falling into the same category,” Jacob Pekas said.
He recalled the night he could have lost his car after leaving a friend’s house in midtown by Overton Square, just days ago.
“My back window was busted open. I didn’t even hear it. It must’ve been pretty quiet. I was not very far away from the driveway, we were just hanging out... They were just kind of in a rush and didn’t really do a good job of stealing my car or even getting close to it,” Pekas explained.
A group called the Kia Boyz on TikTok started the trend back in 2021, which showed people how to steal certain types of Kias, and Hyundais. That, in turn, started a 2022 car theft frenzy in many places like Memphis.
Colonel Stephen Chandler with the Memphis Police Department said it is mainly young people between ages 10 and 18 who have been engaging in this activity.
“We’re starting to see a lot of repeat offenders in some cases,” Chandler said.
He added that they are working with the juvenile court to have increased ankle monitoring for tracking and more detention hearings.
“Honestly, theft and motor vehicle theft is the new gateway to crime. Meaning you have a child that breaks into a car, he’s very limited on his neighborhood until he finds a set of car keys,” Chandler expressed. “Now he’s got a car and it broadens where he can go with that. Then suddenly he finds a pistol inside the car, now he’s bolder to do other crimes.”
Chandler said if you do have a gun in your car, secure it in a lockbox instead of your glove compartment or your armrest. And if you have a computerized car, Chandler recommended getting a defense mechanism called a club that disables the steering wheel.
“Or something as simple as putting a kill switch, where you bypass the ignition altogether,” Chandler said. “It breaks the circuit from the battery to the ignition unless you turn it on, and you put it in an inconspicuous location where only you know where it is.”
Chandler said they have seen a lot of repeat offenders, so they are also trying to implement education programs in schools and create more community resources for young people.
Chandler also recommended that you help yourself by helping them and not leave your car running, since that is just an easier way for thieves to take your car.
Lastly, if you see something, say something by calling CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH and be as descriptive as possible.
Chandler said know your tag number, make, model, and color of your vehicle. Also if you see someone in your car, try to give a description of that person.