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The city's police department said it will give away free steering wheel locks to owners of certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The affected Kia vehicles are between the model years 2011 and 2021.
The impacted Hyundai vehicles are between the model years 2015 and 2021.
The wheel locks will be given away at Ventnor City Hall on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. City residents must show proof of residency and vehicle ownership to receive a lock.
The "Kia Boyz" social media trend has led to a significant rise in stolen Kias and Hyundais over the last two years. Videos on TikTok and other platforms show how some vehicles can be hotwired using a USB cable.
Hyundai and Kia have developed antitheft software for a combined 8.3 million vehicles, according to the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The update requires a key to be in the ignition to turn on a vehicle and the length of the theft alarm is doubled from 30 seconds to a minute.
Back in October, a court gave preliminary approval to a more than $200 million settlement to Kia and Hyundai owners whose vehicles were stolen or damaged by thieves.
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