Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Car thefts continue to remain an ongoing and prevalent issue in Western New York and across the country, especially when it comes to people driving car brands like Kia or Hyundai.
The issue has gotten so bad, a number of cities across the country, including Buffalo and Rochester, have filed a federal lawsuit against both car manufacturers, citing they have created a public nuisance in the community by manufacturing cars that are easy to steal. These cities are seeking to hold Kia and Hyundai accountable for placing profits over safety, and manufacturing and distributing cars that can be stolen by using a phone charger.
LISTEN LIVE TO WBEN:
Earlier this week, the Town of Tonawanda announced it was joining the national lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai, with Supervisor Joe Emminger saying residents should be compensated following irresponsible actions by both car manufacturers.
Related
The Town of Amherst is currently exploring its options when it comes to possible legal action against Kia and Hyundai. Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa feels whether they tag along with the national lawsuit or do something on their own, they have got to kick the tires on all possibilities.
"For an industry leader like Kia or Hyundai to acknowledge they have problems, or to know they have this issue and go this long without really rectifying it, to be honest, it's embarrassing," said Kulpa in a recent interview with WBEN. "The vehicles are fine vehicles, the issue is it causes problems, and the problems aren't limited just to the purchaser of that vehicle. The problems persist and cause grief in the community. Anytime you're putting law enforcement or first responders at risk, it becomes a real eye-opener. This is something that needs some kind of rectification. We are taking it pretty seriously."
Kulpa says a good amount of car thefts that have been reported in the Town of Amherst have been avoidable. He says people that leave their vehicles unlocked in their driveway or leave their vehicle unsecured for a moment's time are an easy target for car thieves.
"They don't even have to break glass, they can just get in. It's not that hard for them to get into a vehicle, even if it is locked, but that first level deterrence - lock your vehicles in your driveways," Kulpa said. "For a long time, it was that early morning, 4-5 a.m. deal, but you see it overnight, and there's no real line of logic as to where it's going to happen. If you've got a Kia sitting in your driveway and it's the right model or vintage, it's susceptible."
Not only does Kulpa advise residents to lock their vehicles whenever they're unattended, he also recommends the use of a Ring doorbell that can be helpful if you happen to have a theft occur of your property.
"If you have a Ring doorbell, register it with the police so we can know that you have that. Those types of things can help in investigations," Kulpa said. "A lot of times, that way they catch something or find something is because they know what the surveillance network looks like with all the private cameras on private homes, and they can find it. If not in that one, they can find it in a second or third or fourth camera. So we want people to take preventative measures. Obviously policing is both preventative and then recovery based, but the first line of logic is to do everything you can preventative upfront. But yeah, it's it's a serious issue."
Kulpa gives the Town of Amherst Police and other local police agencies a lot of credit for trying to adapt to the ongoing car thefts sweeping the nation. While he knows more adaptation is probably necessary, he believes help from the automotive industry is also necessary, at this point.
So what other strategies are law enforcement agencies like the Town of Amherst Police taking to combat the rise in local car thefts?
"We have continued to maintain high quality of road patrol and street patrol. A couple of meetings ago, we actually approved 17 new hires that were replacing some vacant positions. I think trying to keep our numbers strong and have people available, have officers available is a key step in that," Kulpa said. "What I've seen over the years with the Amherst Police, who have, to me, done a wonderful job of understanding what's happening, they really do a great job with social media, and their ability to maintain social media contacts and interactions help them tremendously. I think that's become a big component too."
More from Kulpa is available in the player below:
Related
