Green Bay police, dealerships team up to stop Hyundai and Kia auto thefts
A free event Wednesday will give owners an anti-theft software upgrade
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - On Wednesday, Nov. 15, Green Bay Police and local car dealerships hosted an event to hand out and install free anti-theft software that’s aimed at stopping crimes targeting Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Events like the one in Leicht Park are key. Since January, police have investigated the theft or attempted theft of 182 Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Vehicles in need of the anti-theft software upgrade are certain make and model years with a turn-key-to-start ignition system, not the push-button ignition system.
More than 100 people showed up at the event. Green Bay police also offered free steering wheel locks, which they recommend everyone have, regardless of what kind of car they have. Representatives from local dealerships were also on hand to help install the upgrades.
“Overall I think we’re starting to get better.” Said Green Bay Police Department Chief Clint Beguhn. “We saw a dip at the beginning of the school year. In the last couple of weeks, we have had some again. We are starting to think we are trending in the right direction but we don’t want to sit back. I’ll keep this in the public’s mind.”
“It is just to prevent theft, so we have had a lot of theft starting to come up from Milwaukee and places like that.” Said Dorsch Warranty Administrator Chelsea Hardy. “We just want to make sure everybody is as prepared as they can be.”
Contact the police department if you feel your car may be a target. They are planning a second event in the next couple of months.
To see if your car needs this software upgrade, visit the Hyundai Anti-Theft Software Upgrade website.
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