In a Dec. 4 email to the campus community, Director of Campus Safety Michael McNerney shared tips on securing personal vehicles following recent car thefts near campus.
Two 2020s series Kia and Hyundai vehicles were stolen while parked off campus near Haggerty & Tyson Hall. The first car was reported stolen on Nov. 26 and the second on Dec. 2. Both were recovered by the Portland Police Bureau and returned to their owners, according to a Dec. 4 email from McNerney to The Beacon.
2020s Kia and Hyundai vehicles are vulnerable to theft due to their door locking and ignition systems, McNerney says.
As first reported by CNN Business, reports of Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts have grown by more than 1,000% since 2020.
Campus Safety encourages owners of Hyundai or Kia cars manufactured in the last six years to consider taking security measures such as investing in a steering wheel bar, a brake lock or secondary ignition switch, according to the email.
Maggie Dapp is the News and Managing Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at dapp26@up.edu.
