BALTIMORE — The sweeping nationwide trend of Hyundai and Kia thefts has reached the Baltimore Police Department.
Just before midnight Tuesday, an unmarked Kia Optima belonging to the department was stolen in the unit block of Grant Street.
Police didn't offer many details on what the departmental vehicle was doing in that area at the time.
It's also unclear if any police owned equipment was inside the vehicle.
Opitmas are among several models dating back to 2011 that weren't equipped with an immobilizer, which allows them to easily be hotwired and started without a key.
CARFAX estimates 100,000 vehicles in Maryland (67,000 in Baltimore) are vulnerable to theft as result.
In May Baltimore City joined other US cities in suing Hyundai and Kia over the rise in thefts.
When the lawsuit was filed, the City reported 577 Kias and Hyundais had been stolen in 2023 alone.
