A social media trend that began on the popular app TikTok is taking its toll on the streets of Memphis, according to that city’s police chief.
As auto thefts soar in Memphis, Chief of Police CJ Davis reportedly said the “Kia Boys” are partly to blame.
“Right now there’s sort of gangs that call themselves the Kia Boys and the Kia Boys are all over the country right now, they’ve captioned that name, so to speak,” Davis reportedly said. “If we could get rid of auto thefts in the city, our crime in the city would be down, significantly down.”
In 2021, instructions on how to steal Kias and Hyundais by plugging a USB cord into the steering column of those vehicles quickly became a viral trend. So, too, did videos of people actually using the method to steal the vehicles.
Videos of people stealing Kias and Hyundais and taking them for joyrides, like the video below, went viral on the popular Chinese social media app.
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But car thefts have been an issue in Memphis and in other parts of Tennessee since before the social media trend.
Davis acknowledged that a large part of the problem can be attributed to drivers leaving their vehicles running, or leaving their keys in their cars.
Davis said she is taking steps to address the issue.
“I’ll be at two precincts tonight, trying to educate our community members also about not leaving their cars running. You know, we still see community members leaving their cars running; as we get into the colder months you find that to be more prevalent,” Davis said.
In Nashville, Metro police have been warning for years against leaving keys inside cars.
That trend has led not only to stolen cars, but stolen guns.
“The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables — especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS. These simple actions will go a long way in preventing vehicle and gun thefts. So far this year, 691 guns have been stolen from automobiles in Nashville. Nearly 60 percent of ALL guns reported stolen in 2021 (1,152) were taken from vehicles. Last week, 25 guns were stolen from cars and trucks,” according to an MNPD press release from August of last year.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “C.J. Davis” by Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. Background Photo “2020 Kia Sorento” by Vauxford. CC BY-SA 4.0.
