Schenectady Police warn about recent Kia thefts

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Schenectady Police Department announced that between February 28 and March 31, it has responded to six stolen Kia cars within Schenectady. The police say that in each incident, the suspect overrode the ignition system to steal the car.

The police reported that while there was a variation in the times that these incidents took place, they generally happened between Tuesday and Thursday nights anywhere from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. The Schenectady Police Department says its detective division is investigating the thefts and asks anyone with information to contact the tip line at (518) 788-6566.

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there is software for Kia owners that functions as a theft deterrent as it extends the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the car on. The NHTSA says that Kia is offering these software updates for free to combat the rising Kia thefts.