VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Car theft rates are plummeting in Syracuse
Kye’l Torain: Syracuse has some of the highest violent crime rates in New York State, but this week, there was a change.
Ryan Cuddy: New numbers from the Syracuse Police Department show that the city’s rate of car theft is dropping. NBC news reporter Maria Wainscott is live in studio with what’s behind the shift.
Maria Wainscott: New police data is flipping the usual narrative on crime in Syracuse. Today’s COMPSTAT data shows that car thefts are down more than 50% from last year. Police say that’s no coincidence. I went to SPD to see what’s behind the drop. Syracuse has earned a reputation for high crime, but today’s numbers tell a different story. Car thefts in Syracuse are down more than 50 percent this year. Last year, a viral TikTok trend known as the Kia boys led to a surge in thefts, especially among Kia and Hyundai owners.
Kieran Coffey: “That created a huge spike in stolen vehicles across the city, especially in the university neighborhood. We were very proactive in combating that. We issued, over a thousand steering wheel locks over a three-day period.”
Wainscott: From a mass distribution of steering wheel locks to stronger neighborhood patrols. SPD focused its resources where the spike began near Syracuse University and brought the numbers down citywide. Their method includes the Cooper Curve program, a new system designed to identify concerns before crimes happen
Coffey: “Where officers kind of were able to…we have officers, obviously, specifically patrolling in different areas across the city. They’re able to get out of their cars for 15 to 20 minutes, kind of, survey different neighborhoods that they’re patrolling, and talk to residents about any safety concerns that they may have in their neighborhood. Obviously, stolen vehicles was a big trend last year that we saw.”
Wainscott: But those concerns haven’t gone away through social media. NCC News heard from several community members who say they, or someone they know, have still experienced car theft. And despite the progress, SPD is far from satisfied.
Coffey: “I mean, I wish it was 75%. 50% is fantastic”
Wainscott: For a city long battling stubborn crime rates. SPD isn’t overcomplicating what’s behind this progress.
Coffey: “As chief would say, it’s good police work.”
Wainscott: And it’s not just car thefts. Take a look. This year, Syracuse has seen double-digit drops in nearly every major crime category, from burglaries to property crimes to violent offenses. The numbers are down. SPD says they’re hopeful that this trend will continue. Reporting live in studio. I’m Maria Wainscott, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse Police Department is reporting a dramatic drop in car thefts — down more than 50% compared to this time last year, according to the latest COMPSTAT data.
The department says the decrease is the result of targeted strategies launched last year, many of them designed to curb a sharp spike in thefts in 2024 driven by a social media trend called the “Kia Boys.” The videos went viral on TikTok, showing young people how to hotwire certain models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles using USB cords.
“That created a huge spike in stolen vehicles across the city, especially in the university neighborhood,” said Kieran Coffey, public information officer for SPD. “We were very proactive in combating that. We issued over 1,000 steering wheel locks over a three-day period.”
SPD partnered with Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety and held a high-profile distribution event at Destiny USA, where hundreds of residents — especially Kia and Hyundai owners — received free steering wheel locks.
But physical deterrents were just the start. SPD also ramped up digital outreach and handed out safety flyers reminding people to be vigilant with their vehicles.
“We handed out different flyers and pamphlets across the city just to let people know — keep your car in a well-lit area, always keep doors and windows locked,” Coffey said. “And don’t keep anything in your vehicle that you wouldn’t want someone to see or steal.”
SPD also introduced a patrol strategy called Koper Curve, designed to improve trust, visibility and early crime prevention in neighborhoods.
“It’s a strategy where officers get out of their cars for 15 to 20 minutes at a time and walk the areas they patrol,” Coffey explained. “They talk to residents, ask about safety concerns. Stolen vehicles were a big issue last year, so those conversations helped officers understand what people were seeing — and what needed to change.”
SPD believes that real-time community input is key to staying ahead of crime trends.
“We’re always monitoring social media trends,” Coffey said. “There was a second wave of car thefts targeting key fobs — people were mirroring signals from Toyota, Lexus and Nissan key fobs. We were able to identify that quickly, notify manufacturers and get ahead of it.”
Although the drop is significant, the issue hasn’t disappeared. NCC News received messages from several community members who said they or someone they know had still been affected by car theft — even in recent months.
SPD says it’s aware of those reports — and that work is far from over.
“I’ll never say the work is done,” Coffey said. “I wish it was 75%. Fifty percent is fantastic. But we want to keep improving.”
Coffey added that more steering wheel locks are on the way, and the department will announce on social media when the next round of distribution events is scheduled.
Coffey credited officers’ initiative, flexibility and the power of partnerships as the main drivers behind the decline.
“As chief would say — it’s good police work,” he said.
Residents can view the full breakdown of crime statistics by district and category in SPD’s weekly COMPSTAT reports, available on the department’s website.