Increases in car thefts nationwide, and especially specific to certain brands of cars, has led to the Moline Police Department and the East Moline Police Department to come up with a plan. Owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, vehicles that have become targets of car thieves, can now get a free steering wheel lock from either the Moline Police Department or the East Moline Police Department. In a statement announcing the availability of free Steering Wheel Locks, a Moline Police spokesperson stated:
“The Moline Police Department and the East Moline Police Department have collaborated with Hyundai to give away steering wheel locks to help combat the rising method of theft popularized on TikTok.
On Saturday, September 9, officers from both the Moline and East Moline Police Departments will be at Green Hyundai, 6801 44th Avenue, Moline from 9am-12 noon. If you qualify, you can obtain a steering wheel lock free of charge to help secure your Kia or Hyundai from theft.
You must be a resident of Rock Island County, present valid identification and vehicle registration of a Kia or Hyundai built from 2011-2022. The vehicle must be registered to an address in Rock Island County. The police departments have 240 steering wheel locks to distribute and are only available while supplies last.”
Moline Police also state that both Hyundai and Kia are working to fix the issue that makes the cars such targets of car thefts. The steering wheel locks are a stop gap measure.