HOPEWELL, Va. (WWBT) -So far this year, over 65 cars have been stolen in Hopewell, with roughly half of those cars being taken in just the last 3 months.

Police say that while people with Hyundais and Kias are more likely to be targeted because of security flaws, no one is immune to the crime.

It’s happening all over the city, no matter the time or day.

“We haven’t seen many vehicles with the windows broken into,” said Hopewell Police Department Deputy Chief Donnie Reid. “We have recovered some vehicles that had some keyhole damage to the door of the vehicle for entry. But a lot of the vehicles are either unlocked or they’re bypassing the ignition system to take those.”

Hopewell Police Department has been successful in recovering some of the stolen cars. They attribute the car recovery to improved technology throughout the city, like flock cameras.

“We have made some arrests of people inside the vehicles, and that doesn’t necessarily determine if they stole the vehicle, but that does give us a piece to investigate further,” Reid explained.

To reduce your chances of being a victim of car theft, police have these safety tips for you.

“If you do own a Hyundai or Kia, please reach out to the manufacturer or to the dealer to see if there’s service updates or any type of recalls that you can get fixed in your vehicle or invest in other anti-theft devices such as steering wheel locks,” Reid said.

It’s also important to make sure that if you’re not near your car, always lock it and call the police if you see any suspicious activity.

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