Birmingham police are giving away free anti-theft steering wheel locks as thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles continues to rise here and elsewhere.

So far this year in the city, there have been 359 thefts reported of those two types of vehicles. That number includes 236 stolen Hyundai vehicles and 123 Kia Motors vehicles, according to statistics released by Birmingham police to AL.com on Friday.

That is a roughly a 372 percent increase over all of 2022, which saw 45 Hyundai vehicles and 31 Kia vehicles stolen.

Earlier this year, the South Korean auto makers unveiled software that was designed to thwart an epidemic of thefts of their vehicles, caused by a security flaw that was exposed on TikTok and other social media sites, according to the Associated Press.

Some U.S. cities have reported that 60% or more of their auto theft reports now involve Hyundais or Kias. Videos on TikTok and other sites that illustrate how to start and steal Kia and Hyundai models — using only a screwdriver and a USB cable — have allowed the thefts to spread across the nation since late 2021, the news agency reported.

Beginning last month, Birmingham police began to offer the anti-theft devices and Mayor Randall Woodfin on Friday, via social media, reminded the public those devices are still available to city residents.

Those interested in obtaining one must bring tag registration as proof of residency.

The devices are being distributed at each of the city’s four police precincts and the department’s downtown headquarters:

– BPD Headquarters:

1710 First Ave N

Birmingham, AL 35203

– North Precinct:

2600 31st Ave N

Birmingham, AL 35207

– South Precinct:

1320 19th St S

Birmingham, AL 35205

– West Precinct:

2236 47th St Ensley W

Birmingham, AL 35208

– East Precinct:

600 Red Lane Rd

Birmingham, AL 35215