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Quad Cities police report string of unlocked car thefts, highlight prevention measures

Police say that certain vehicles are vulnerable to theft through weaknesses in their steering column, and everyone should always lock their car doors.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Quad Cities law enforcement agencies are reminding residents to be more vigilant about locking their cars after a reported string of recent thefts.

On Tuesday, July 5, the Rock Island Police Department made a Facebook post about the recent thefts in the area and common threads between them. Across the river, the Davenport Police Department echoed RIPD's message.

Although they did not name any specific incidents, police did share that many of the thefts share common threads.

Reportedly, many of the vehicles being targeted for theft currently are Hyundai and Kia models that have weaknesses in their steering columns that leave them vulnerable to being forced open to the point where the car can be started without its key.

This type of theft is most easily performed when cars are left unlocked, which RIPD says is the reason for most car thefts in the Quad Cities.

The Quad Cities are seeing a rash of vehicle thefts in which the steering columns are being forced open and the vehicle...

Posted by Rock Island Police Department on Tuesday, July 5, 2022

In the post, RIPD spotlighted LockItDownQC, an awareness program signed by 24 QC area law enforcement agencies that highlight the preventability of car theft.

Police want to remind the public to always lock their car doors, never leave their car running and never leave their keys inside the car.

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