BALTIMORE — It's no secret car thieves are targeting Kia's and Hyundai's.
Theft insurance claims for these vulnerable vehicles shot up more than 1,000% between 2020 and 2023, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
Baltimore is working to help make those vehicles more secure.
On Thursday afternoon, Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore City Council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton handed out free steering wheel locks to city residents who own Kia or Hyundai vehicles.
"This is just the latest in our wheel lock giveaways. We know that we're dealing with the issue of stolen cars in the city and we're going to continue to have the police out making arrests and doing things that they do, turning it over to other parts of the justice system. But we also want to prevent as much as possible," Mayor Scott said.
The giveaway took place at the CC Jackson Recreation Center on Park Heights Avenue.
