Police confront trend in car thefts

Yahoo

08-03-2025

HIGH POINT — Car thefts jumped an eye-popping 124% last year compared to 2023, according to the recent annual report of the High Point Police Department.
The police handled 692 vehicle thefts last year, which works out to an average of one car stolen every 13 hours. By comparison, there were 308 vehicle thefts in 2023.
The reasons for the increase in thefts range from car owners neglecting to lock their vehicles to a social media prank that went viral during 2024, police say.
The early figures for 2025 indicate the trend reversing somewhat: For the first two months of 2025, there have been 64 vehicle thefts, down 36% from the 100 for the same period in 2024.
Lt. Kim Rieson, supervisor of the police department's property crimes unit, said that officers are reminding the public that locking car doors is the best defense against thefts.
'Not only are they stealing the cars when they aren't locked, they are stealing items people leave behind in them, including guns,' Rieson told The High Point Enterprise.
She said that some well-intentioned car owners may think they have locked their vehicle when they haven't, emphasizing the importance of double-checking.
'Some people hit the unlock button instead of the lock button,' she said. 'Making sure you have locked your car will certainly help.'
Car thieves will go through neighborhoods looking for vehicles that are unlocked. Rieson said people should call police if they see a group walking along a neighborhood street beside a slow-moving vehicle.
'You may see that car inching down the road to pick people up who are looking to steal a car,' Rieson said. 'It may be a car not common in that neighborhood.'
Another problem has been people leaving their vehicle unattended while it runs to warm the engine and interior, especially on cold days. Car thieves will go into neighborhoods looking for unattended cars that are running.
'Those people are at risk of someone coming down the road looking for a car with exhaust fumes showing,' Rieson said. 'It's a moment of opportunity.'
A national social media prank that centered on Hyundai and Kia also added fuel to the increase in vehicle thefts last year.
The police handled thefts of 187 Hyundais and 174 Kias. Officers hosted two events in High Point last year to give out steering wheel locks to drivers of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
'We focused on those vehicles because there had been an increase in break-ins and thefts involving those vehicles in our area and across the country,' said police communication specialist Victoria Ruvio.
For the first two months of this year, Hyundai thefts have dropped 53%, from 30 to 14, and Kia thefts have declined 63%, from 24 to nine, according to police figures.
Rieson said the outreach to Hyundai and Kia owners has made a difference.
'We have tried to educate owners of Kias and Hyundais about better securing their vehicle,' she said. 'We think that has helped us so far this year.'