Las Vegas Is Seeing An Uptick In Auto Theft

Despite a decrease in violent crime in Las Vegas, our city is seeing an uptick in auto theft.

The news comes from a recent "State of the Department" address held by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff, Kevin McMahill. The address was held Monday morning at the Las Vegas Sphere. There, Sheriff McMahill pointed out that while auto theft is on the rise, there are still a lot of things he's proud of. Including a significant drop on violent crimes, including sexual assault and robberies.

However, Sheriff McMahill also noted that car theft has risen over 37% in the Las Vegas valley. He made it clear that because of those numbers, automotive theft will be a priority for the department throughout the year.

The infamous "TikTok Kia Challenge" was brought up during the address. For those unfamiliar, the viral challenge exploited a vulnerability in some Kia and Hyundai models. It basically taught people how to start those vehicles with a USB cable. To nobody's surprise, those cars started to see a significant rise in thefts after the challenge made its way onto the popular social media platform.

Car break-ins are another thing that the department is looking into. During the address, Sheriff McMahill mentioned break-ins. Some neighborhoods have seen a significant increase in their cars being broken into.

It's strange to explain the experience of auto theft to someone who's never been a victim of it. There's something about it that just makes you feel gross. You feel as if someone has violated you. They've been in a space that's only meant for you.

And while there's no sure fire way to prevent it from happening to you, there are things you can do to help reduce the risk. According to Metro's website, the easiest thing you can do is lock your car. Locking your vehicle reduces your risk of auto theft by 60%, according to their reports.