Baltimore City is stepping up efforts to expand its fight against auto theft.

Soon, the city could be giving out digital tracking tags so that owners can keep track of vehicles if they are stolen. There will also be a new push to get wheel locks into the hands of drivers, particularly those who drive Kia and Hyundai vehicles, which are driving the surge in auto theft thanks to a viral TikTok trend that shows how to exploit the anti-theft technology.

“We are also working with the manufacturer to schedule system upgrade clinics for Kia and Hyundai vehicles to assist residents with installing anti-theft software updates from the manufacturer,” said Mayor Brandon Scott during a Monday morning press conference held at the city’s impound lot on Pulaski Highway. Scott said the “multi-pronged” plan is a continuation of actions to deter vehicle theft that his administration has been working on since 2022, when the challenge began to go viral.

According to numbers from Baltimore City, carjackings are down 23% compared to this time last year while auto thefts have more than tripled from this time in 2022.

But Scott said that car thefts committed by juveniles are up 166% and that the city must address the root causes of that problem.

“It is abundantly clear that the same individuals and groups and individuals are driving these crimes,” he said. “30 Young people alone that have been arrested multiple times for carjackings, and stolen autos, we know that there is something deeper going on when we see these types of spikes.”

A report released by the state’s Department of Juvenile Services earlier this fall shows crime committed by juveniles is actually decreasing.

Mayor Scott’s administration says it is looking into legislation at the state level that could expand penalties for “complicit parents and reforms to home detention monitoring.”

There will be two events later this month where police will hand out steering wheel locks for registered Hyundai and Kia drivers; they will then be available at police districts while supplies last. Scott also said that the administration is working on upgrades at the impound, where many find themselves picking up a stolen vehicle in the chance that it is located. Residents reclaiming a stolen vehicle can continue to do so for free, a practice the city has had for nearly a year that Scott estimates costs the city around $250,000 annually.

Additionally, police will make additional use of license plate readers, known as LRPs, to identify stolen vehicles.