A rise in auto thefts in Buffalo over the first third of the year is sharper than the increase that hit when a wave fueled by a national social media trend first reached the region last year.
Over the first four months of this year, the average number of vehicles reported stolen per day was 9.8, according to Buffalo Police Department statistics. Last year, that daily average from January through April was 3.7.
According to police figures, Buffalo has seen an astounding rise in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
In January 2022, eight Kias and Hyundais were stolen in the city. This January, that figure was 250.
Year to year, that's an increase of more than 3,000%.
So far this year, about two of every three vehicles stolen in Buffalo is either a Kia or a Hyundai. The rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts first began in Buffalo last August.
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"The problem is significant to the point that our stolen cars are just continuing to show very high numbers," Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said.
Buffalo is far from alone when it comes to the uptick. The number of stolen cars reported through the end of April in Amherst was 114 – up from 71 over the same period last year. That's a 60% increase, according to data released by the Amherst Police Department.
Kias and Hyundais make up about a third of all stolen vehicles in Amherst this year, compared to 12% and 6% in the last two years, respectively.
In Cheektowaga, more Kias and Hyundais have been stolen so far this year than all of last year, according to data released by police.
An Associated Press analysis of data from eight cities, including New York, Cleveland and Grand Rapids, Mich., published earlier this month showed "substantial year-over-year increases in Hyundai and Kia theft reports through April."
Nationally, an increase in the thefts of Hyundais and Kias began in late 2021 thanks to videos on TikTok and other sites that showed how to start and steal those vehicles.
Most of the stolen vehicles wind up abandoned, but not all.
"We have some of these thieves that are also using them to commit other violent crimes, gun crimes, shots fired, robberies and even other crimes," Gramaglia said. "And they're quickly ditching the cars. We don't even have information on these cars being stolen until the next morning when people wake up and find their cars are gone."
There have been two high-profile incidents locally involving stolen Kias: an October crash that killed four teens in Buffalo and a February hit-and-run crash that severely injured a Cheektowaga police officer.
The City of Buffalo filed a federal lawsuit in March against Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. accusing the automakers of creating a public nuisance by failing to install industry-standard anti-theft devices in their vehicles.
In Amherst and Buffalo, police say the thieves generally tend to be younger, often juveniles.
"I think this is just simply, for some of them, a form of entertainment, a game, something for them to do and this is what they do," Gramaglia said. "They just go out and chalk it up to how many they can steal in a night."
But the activity is not confined to youths, police said, and many engaged in thefts don't stop after one.
"These are generally not one-off type crimes," said Amherst Police Capt. Christopher Meyer. "The young people we see doing this are doing it repeatedly."
Amherst police take vehicle theft cases seriously, said Meyer, noting detectives are assigned to pursue the culprits.
"It's important that our citizens know we still investigate these crimes thoroughly," he said.
Though not every case leads to an arrest or prosecution, detectives can obtain evidence valuable in future investigations, he said.
Meyer, a 29-year-veteran of the department, said the number of vehicles being stolen is more than at any other point in his career.
At present, Cheektowaga police are averaging about four stolen vehicle calls a week, said Capt. Brian Coons.
Most of the vehicles wind up being abandoned but sometimes they are used in other crimes, Coons said.
The department has added additional patrol details in neighborhoods because of the rise in vehicle thefts, he said.
As for curbing the thefts, police agencies encouraged all vehicle owners to take steps to make their vehicles less of a potential target. Car owners should lock their doors and not leave their keys inside the vehicle. Park in a garage, if possible.
If your household has more than one vehicle, park a Kia or Hyundai in the driveway first, and park another vehicle close to it.
Kia and Hyundai owners whose vehicles were made in the years that have the manufacturer's security flaw should obtain an anti-theft device, like a wheel lock.
Those steps won't assure that your car won't be stolen, but you will "make yourself a more difficult target," said Meyer.
Reach Aaron at abesecker[at]buffnews.com or 716-849-4602.
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Auto thefts in Buffalo continue to surge, with Kias and Hyundais targeted most - Buffalo News
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