In response to a city grappling with a rise in vehicle thefts, the Austin Police Department and Hyundai Motor America have provided local Hyundai owners with a free anti-theft software upgrade. The Auto Theft Unit of the APD welcomed owners to the Austin Police Department substation for the upgrade, which was installed by technicians at no cost, as reported by CBS Austin.
Hyundai appeared to be doubling down on its efforts to curb theft, with Ira Gabriel, Senior Group Manager for Hyundai Motor America, highlighting the initiative as a continuation of a partnership forged with the APD; this is to counter a spate of thefts popularized via social right here social media. Those who missed the latest event are urged by Gabriel to visit local dealerships for the software update, a fix that takes about 12-15 minutes to apply, shared in a statement obtained by CBS Austin.
The recent surge of thefts involving Hyundai vehicles is not an isolated issue, with FOX 7 Austin reporting that approximately 750 out of 1800 total auto thefts in the area involved KIA/Hyundai models. “We've had about 1800 total auto thefts, and about 750 of those, approximately 150 others have been KIA/Hyundai auto thefts. So, still seeing that rising number, we're hopefully putting these events on. It will hopefully keep these cars from getting stolen,” Christian Maynes of the APD's anti-theft interdiction program told FOX 7 Austin.
In addition to software updates, the Hyundai-provided event also distributed steering wheel locks to vehicle owners, enhancing security possibilities for those whose models could not support the update. "There's no appointment needed, there's no registration. And for those that need the software, we'll provide the software at no cost. For those that can't take the software, we're going to give everybody, whether you need the software or not, a complimentary steering wheel lock," Gabriel told, this is the quote, FOX 7 Austin in an interview. Meanwhile, efforts to establish a similar support strategy for KIA motorists are ongoing, with Maynes mentioning ongoing communication in hopes of bringing securing measures for the KIA community.
