KIA to hold another security upgrade clinic at Mall of America on Saturday, Sunday
MINNEAPOLIS — Car manufacturers are hoping to put the power back in the hands of car owners after recent surge of car thefts.
It's a nationwide problem. Kias and Hyundais are being stolen at alarming rates.
Phillip Jeffries was driving in North Minneapolis last week when he noticed several children hanging out of a Kia.
"Oh man, that was the biggest shocker when I realized one of the kids head popped out the window," Jeffries stated. "He couldn't have been older than 10."
Unfortunately, it's a familiar sight: teens in stolen Kia's and Hyundai's.
Some too young to even get a license going on joy rides and many times those joyrides end up connected to more serious crimes. Like a double shooting in North Minneapolis last month that sent a 17-year-old to the hospital.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara voiced his frustrations and how he's feeling like a broken record talking about this troubling trend.
Just this year, nearly 3,000 cars were stolen with more than half of those vehicles being Kias and Hyundais. The latest happened just a week ago.
"Some consequence needs to be done with these kids," Jeffries said. "Consequences that'll stick so the next ones would know not to do it either."
Now Kia is hoping to make its cars more difficult to steal by installing anti-theft software.
The free event runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
Once the software upgrade is completed, Kia technicians will apply window decal updates to discourage future criminal activity.
"I'm glad something is being done, I'm glad they're figuring out some kind of solution," Jeffries added.
It's a solution he hopes will save lives.