Kearny Police Department collaborates with Hyundai to combat nationwide increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts

Jun 30, 2023

The Kearny Police Department is partnering with Hyundai to address the nationwide surge in vehicle thefts, specifically targeting Hyundai and Kia models.

"Recent incidents have revealed an alarming rise in thefts across the country, attributed to a viral social media challenge," Det. John Fabula said. "Recognizing the potential impact on our local community, we have joined forces with Hyundai to prevent any thefts of these vehicles and enhance overall safety nationwide."

To avail themselves of this exclusive opportunity, Hyundai and Kia owners from Kearny are encouraged to visit the Kearny Police Department — 237 Laurel Ave. — during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents will be required to provide proof of ownership, such as vehicle registration or insurance documentation, to verify eligibility and to receive a complimentary steering lock.

"The Kearny Police Department is committed to proactively addressing emerging threats to the security and well-being of our community members," Fabula said. "Through our collaboration with Hyundai, we aim to provide effective solutions to mitigate the risk of vehicle thefts. As part of this initiative, we are pleased to offer complimentary steering locks to eligible Hyundai and Kia owners who reside in Kearny. The partnership between the Kearny Police Department and Hyundai highlights the collective effort to address a nationwide concern. We extend our sincere gratitude to Hyundai for their support and commitment to community safety."

With that said there are still steps the public may take to be proactive to help curtail thefts.

"We also want to stress to the public that leaving cars running, not locking them, leaving keys in cars overnight represents double the number of thefts to vehicles than any other types. We can't say this enough — always lock your vehicles, never leave your car running, even for a minute and never leave keys or fobs inside vehicles."

The locks will be distributed by the Detective Bureau on the second floor of Kearny Police Headquarters.

For more information, call the Kearny Police Department at (201) 998-1313, ext. 2833.

Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.