The Independence Police Department is encouraging residents of Independence who own Kia and Hyundai cars to come to the police station on 5409 Madison Pike to receive a free steering wheel lock, all of which have been provided by manufacturers.
The distribution is in response to a spate of car thefts in which car thieves have used special USB drives to bypass electronic security systems on certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars.
To receive a wheel lock, one must be a resident of Independence and own one of the models being targeted: Kia models from 2011 to 2021 and Hyundai models from 2015 to 2021 that use key ignitions, not button ignitions.
The department had 220 locks as of Tuesday, according to a social media post on the city’s Facebook page. Locks are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and are only available while supplies last.