"We know that these stolen cars are being used in other violent crimes like homicide, aggravated assaults, shootings, armed robberies, and not only that but property crimes as well," Raleigh Police Lt. John Black told ABC11.
The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) created the Auto Theft Task Force back in June, which is made up of officers from different teams and works with other agencies as well to specifically focus on investigating stolen vehicles.
Before, general detectives were being assigned these cases on top of everything else they were working on. Now, the task force allows members of RPD to spend their time diving into auto thefts in particular. Black heads up the task force and said this new approach is leading them to see some success.
Since June, the RPD Auto Theft Task Force has recovered 86 stolen vehicles, which totals about $2.3 million. It's resulted in 180 felony charges and 22 misdemeanor charges. These investigations have also led to the arrest of 23 adults and 38 juveniles.
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"Juveniles are leveraging a social media challenge, a TikTok challenge called the Kia Boys, which kind of teaches them how to steal cars," Black told ABC11.
Black said that Kias and Hyundais are the most commonly stolen cars. He recommends that owners of these makes of vehicles go to their dealerships to get a software update that makes it more difficult for their cars to be stolen. These owners can also go to a Raleigh Police Precinct to request a steering wheel lock for free.
As far as car theft prevention, Black recommends getting some kind of GPS tracker for your car, like an AirTag, if your car doesn't already have that built it. It can help you track your vehicle if it ever is stolen, and can help officers more quickly recover it.
The "9 PM Routine" is also a crime prevention tactic that RPD recommends. It means that you choose a time every night before going to bed to double-check everything in your home. Black recommends removing any valuables from your cars, locking your doors, turning on your porch lights, and making sure any of your security cameras are set to pick up motion outside.
If your car is stolen, Black recommends calling 911. The sooner that officers know your car is stolen, the sooner they can be on the lookout for your vehicle while out on patrol. As stolen vehicles can be used in the commission of other crimes, more quickly notifying RPD about your stolen car can also help prevent future crimes.
To learn more about RPD's recommendations for crime prevention, click here.