St. Paul, Minn., Sees Decrease in Car Thefts Despite National Spike

St. Paul, Minnesota, has successfully reduced car thefts through a focus on prevention and youth intervention, despite a nationwide surge in auto thefts driven by a viral TikTok video exposing a security vulnerability in certain Kia and Hyundai models. The city's approach includes educating residents about theft risks, targeted ad campaigns, providing steering wheel clubs for affected car owners, and offering positive outlets for young people involved in auto theft. The strategy has led to a significant decline in car thefts, making St. Paul an outlier in the national trend.