‘It’s a vicious, frustrating cycle;’ Over 60 cars stolen from Dayton in one week

DAYTON — Dayton police are asking for the community’s help to stop a wave of car thefts.

Police believe how-to videos on social media could still be contributing to the uptick in thefts.

Police first saw car theft numbers increase in the summer of last year when how-to theft videos first appeared on social media platforms.

The first week of the new year has not been much better, as Hyundais and Kias continue to be targeted.

“It’s a vicious, frustrating cycle,” Valerie Brown said.

Brown is one of the most recent victims of the so-called Kia challenge.

She woke up Monday morning to her Kia gone. No one heard anything and there has been no sign of the Kia anywhere.

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“Disgusting is a good word. Now I have no transportation or anything,” Brown said.

Brown said she bought her 2015 Kia Optima last August and is not happy to be part of the recent statistics.

Dayton police said 67 cars, almost all of them Kias and Hyundais were stolen in the first week of the year.

They said their statistics show car thefts in the city almost doubled from their usual pace, coinciding almost exactly with last July when the social media videos first appeared.

“Something needs to be done where they can’t put these up in the beginning,” Brown said.

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Brown doesn’t understand why platforms like TikTok and YouTube ever allowed the how-to videos to appear.

She has seen police try to slow down the problem, including creating a countywide grand theft auto suppression task force.

But the problem isn’t only isolated to Montgomery County, it has impacted many parts of the Miami Valley.

“Something needs to be done, needs to be done, it is costing us, the consumers, entirely too much money,” Brown said.

It’s not just car theft victims that have to pay.

A lot of other drivers are paying after people attempt to steal and damage their cars.

Even when not successful, it leads to high repair bills and potentially higher insurance costs.

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