Summary:
- Kias and Hyundais have a manufacturing glitch making them easy to steal.
- Guests are asked to avoid leaving personal items in their vehicles.
- Anti-theft software is being provided this weekend at the Mayfair Mall to help with thefts.
When you go to the casino, you expect to lose a few bucks, not your vehicle. However, many gamblers at the Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, are losing their vehicles due to theft.
The Wisconsin casino has seen 14 vehicles stolen in less than a month from its parking garage. Most of the vehicles that are part of the theft are Hyundais and Kias, as these vehicle types are known to be easy to steal.
Uptick in Thefts
Police reported yesterday that 14 vehicles have been stolen from the casino parking garage within less than four weeks. The first theft occurred on September 24, and the last just two days ago. The garage is located in West Canal Street and seems to be a hotbed of activity for car theft.
Police say that most of the vehicles taken from the property are Kias or Hyundais. Unfortunately for vehicle owners, this type of car brand is easy to steal. There is a manufacturing glitch and no engine immobilizer that stops someone from stealing the car. If an engine immobilizer were in place, only one car would start the vehicle.
Instead, individuals can use various tools, even screwdrivers, to start the cars and drive away. The area is known for such thefts, as in 2021, the Kia Boyz group rose up in Milwaukee and other cities to start stealing vehicle types.
Wisconsin is not the only state to be suffering with a surge iof thefts with incidences occurring in Arizona, Kentucky and Texas to name a few.
Response by the Casino
Potawatomi Casino Hotel senior security manager Travis Gervais stated that the parking garage should be considered a street or parking structure in Milwaukee. Patrons should remove valuables before leaving their vehicles and be vigilant.
Gervais says that security will continue to actively patrol the parking lots and monitor the entrances to the building and parking structures with cameras 24/7. The number of vehicles being stolen begs the question as to how security is not catching these individuals in the act.
The theft suspects do not have a key to enter the vehicle, so they have to come up with creative ways to get doors open. Is the parking lot so congested that security cannot see when a car is being breached, or are they not paying attention?
It seems the uptick would call for an increase in security patrols which Las Vegas Casinos and others are doing after a spate of robberies. Potawatomi are also working on other maneuvers to ensure vehicles are not stolen.
The Mayfair Mall is hosting a special event this weekend from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday to Sunday, to offer Kia owners a solution. Special software can be installed on the vehicle at no cost to help with anti-theft measures.
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