California Attorney General Blames Automakers for Car Theft Spike

Rob Bonta, California attorney general affiliated with the Democratic Party, claims that the increase in car thefts during his tenure is due to car manufacturers not installing engine immobilizers in specific car models. In a letter addressed to Hyundai and Kia, Bonta and 22 other attorneys general made this claim and mentioned the viral TikTok tutorials created by teenagers on how to bypass security devices on certain Kia and Hyundai models over the past couple of years.

However, Bonta has taken few measures to address the rise in car thefts in his state. Despite the increase in homicides, property crime, and violent crime in California during his first year as attorney general, arrest rates and probation levels decreased. Since taking office in 2021, Bonta has focussed on scrutinizing the police and suing cities over their zoning policies as car theft and violent crime incidents have increased. As a state legislator, Bonta was instrumental in the creation of softer sentencing laws and reducing jail time for felons.

Kia and Hyundai cars accounted for around 20 percent of auto thefts in Los Angeles in 2021 and 38 percent of such occurrences in Berkeley since 2022. According to Bonta’s office, he and his counterparts are demanding that the car manufacturers expedite the update process of anti-theft software and provide “free alternative protective measures” for car models unsupportive of this technology.

Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill restricting the sale of used catalytic converters. The law has made it more difficult for Californian car owners to replace stolen converters and has not reduced theft rates.

Theft rates have increased in California despite the implementation of policies that do not seek to prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes. As robbery incidents increase in the state, progressive Californians have made a habit of ridiculing the victims. Recently, a tech executive whose employee lost $10,000 worth of equipment due to robbery in the city was mocked for being “sheltered” by San Francisco’s former police commissioner.

San Francisco’s Police Department data indicate that car thefts in the city increased by 42% between 2019 and 2022.