By Luke Lattanzi | Staff Writer, Danika Young | LTVN Social Media Editor
Following a TikTok trend that detailed how to break into Kia motor vehicles, the Baylor Police Department is seeing a rise in motor vehicle thefts on and around campus.
A Baylor Alert, sent out Jan. 11, details three instances of motor vehicle theft. The first occurred Dec. 20, 2023, at University Parks Apartments. The second occurred Jan. 8 at the 2000 block of S First St., and the third occurred Jan. 10-11 at the 1900 block of S Ninth St.
“BUPD and Waco PD are currently investigating these incidents,” the email reads. “Law enforcement has increased patrols in the area and other locations immediately adjacent to campus.”
LTVN’s Danika Young talks to BUPD about this crime gone viral.
BUPD assistant chief Don Rodman said the motor vehicle thefts were byproducts of the TikTok trend. According to Rodman, the thefts reported by the Baylor Alert were all Kia motor vehicles.
“There was a little bit of an issue to where it reached social media,” Rodman said. “There was a TikTok challenge pushed out where, ‘Hey, this is how you can break into a Kia.’ And so that became kind of rampant, and that really led to a wider trend.”
That “wider trend” ultimately resulted in a recently settled class-action lawsuit against vehicle manufacturers Kia and Hyundai. According to a press release from Hagens Berman, the law firm that brought the suit, it gave more than $200 million to affected vehicle owners.
According to the press release, the trend stems from a failure by both Kia and Hyundai to add a basic anti-theft mechanism that prevents most vehicles from being started unless a specific code from the vehicle’s key fob is transmitted. Both vehicle manufacturers have agreed to add the proper anti-theft devices to affected vehicles free of charge. The anti-theft failure affects all Kia models from 2011 to 2022.
“The biggest thing that you can do if you own one of those vehicles is take it into a dealership, and it’s free of cost,” Rodman said. “There’s a local Kia here in Waco, the University Kia, and so that would be a great option if you have not gone and put in that anti-theft device.”
Rodman said all students should practice basic safety precautions for their vehicles, regardless of what type of vehicle they are driving.
“You always want to maintain observation of your vehicle,” Rodman said. “So I know when we travel, [we do] whatever we can do to keep that within a well-lit area or another type of location where we know there’s cameras, or we know that there’s a friend or family [member] that can look out for that vehicle.”
The recent rise in vehicle thefts on and around campus also coincides with a 10% rise in vehicle thefts from 2021 to 2022 throughout the state of Texas, according to a press release by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bureau said the U.S. saw an estimated 1.05 million vehicle theft incidents in 2022 — the most recorded since 2008.
Waco Police Department spokesperson Cierra Shipley also said vehicle owners should practice basic safety measures, including parking in well-lit areas at night, leaving their vehicles locked and turned off when unoccupied, keeping valuables out of view and reporting all suspicious activity to their local police department.
“The Waco Police Department would like to remind everyone that it is vital to remember these safety prevention tips as a motor vehicle owner,” Shipley said via email.
Rodman said BUPD is working closely with Waco PD to identify any trends and commonalities between these thefts, such as certain locations that may be especially vulnerable. Vehicles are also at risk when they are left in areas where there is not a lot of foot traffic, as perpetrators are often emboldened when there is no one around to witness the crime.
“That’s one of the things that we are constantly analyzing, is trying to find hotspots,” Rodman said. “What we’re finding is open parking lots — particularly in apartment complexes, but really it can happen anywhere — if there’s not a lot of foot traffic, a lot of times they’re happening overnight.”
Rodman said it ultimately comes down to “Hide it, Lock it, Take it” — a foundational tenet of Baylor’s anti-burglary program that urges students to hide their valuables, lock their vehicles and take essential items, such as car keys, with them.
“We’re here for your support and to be able to make sure that you all feel safe so that you can go and thrive and do what you all are meant to do,” Rodman said.
