Golden Valley residents who own or lease qualified Hyundai or Kia vehicles are eligible to pick up a free steering wheel lock from the Golden Valley Police Department (GVPD). The locks were donated to the GVPD by the vehicle manufacturers.
Pick-up is available 8 am-4:30 pm Monday through Friday at the Public Safety building, 7700 Golden Valley Rd. Proof of residency (photo ID, driver’s license, utility bill, etc) and proof of vehicle ownership (insurance or title) is required. Locks are available while supplies last. Call the GVPD at 763-593-8079 for more information.
Last year, the City reported that Golden Valley police had close to 18 stolen vehicle reports from October through Dec 6, 2022, with 95 percent being Hyundais and Kias. A manufacturing issue in certain models had been shared in TikTok videos and showed how to steal the vehicles in a matter of seconds or minutes, and the problem was occurring everywhere. In a public safety alert, the GVPD encouraged those with vulnerable vehicles to invest in anti-theft devices or GPS tracking devices to help law enforcement locate stolen vehicles more quickly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), both Hyundai and Kia have been working with law enforcement agencies to provide more than 26,000 steering wheel locks since November 2022 to 77 law enforcement agencies in 12 states.
Hyundai and Kia have also developed theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles that lack an immobilizer and will provide it FREE of charge to vehicle owners. More information is available on the NHTSA website.