AG Ellison Goes After Car Makers, Not Criminals to Combat Rising Car Thefts
Car thefts in Minneapolis are up over 95% compared to last year. In one week alone, over 190 cars were stolen in Minneapolis. 76% of them were Kias and Hyundais. What is Attorney General Keith Ellison’s plan? To go after the car maker, not the criminal.
Police chiefs across Minnesota voice frustration at the lack of accountability for juveniles involved in car thefts. “The kids are being brought in by the cops and released immediately and then back out to the same environment. No services, no accountability, no nothing and the next thing you know they are in one of these cars again,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
Without consequences, police officers feel these crimes will continue to escalate and are calling for changes in the legal system to address the serious issue. How does Minnesota’s Attorney General answer that call? By going after Kia and Hyundai manufacturers, practically emboldening criminals to continue to target the easy-to-steal vehicles. The theft of such cars is up 611% in St. Paul and 893% in Minneapolis.
AG Ellison with a coalition of 17 Governors sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, claiming manufacturers aren’t doing enough to fix their vehicles’ design flaws and calling for a nationwide recall of Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The design flaw, which allows criminals to start the engine by just putting a USB-A cable into a matching plug, went viral on social media and police have hardly been able to keep up.
Below is a map of the cars stolen so far this year in Minneapolis. This is an extremely concerning issue that our state’s top police officer refuses to take seriously!
Attorney General Ellison says that Minnesotans deserve to feel safe, but how can they feel safe when there is no accountability for criminals? This problem has risen to uncontrollable levels and a nationwide recall is not going to fix the problem. Minnesotans are driving their Kia and Hyundai cars each day, living in fear that their car may be the next one taken for a juvenile joy ride. Ellison needs to crack down on crime and ensure that no one has to pay the price of his soft-on-criminal priorities.