JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is offering free steering wheel locks to some Kia and Hyundai drivers in an effort to prevent vehicle thefts.
July is Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, and JSO said in 2024 alone, more than 1,200 vehicle thefts were reported involving Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
"Vehicle thefts can happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone," JSO said in a news release on Wednesday.
To help prevent these thefts from occurring, JSO set up six distribution locations across the city for drivers to pick up the locks. They will be free only to owners with Kia and Hyundai models that have a key-operated ignition, JSO said.
Drivers must be Duval County residents to qualify. JSO said anyone interested should be prepared to give their name, address, the year and model of their vehicles.
While avaliable, the locks can be picked up from any of the JSO district substations from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Here's a look at the substation locations and addresses.
- District 1 Substation (Brooklyn / Downtown / Eastside / San Marco / Springfield) 5258-13 Norwood Ave., 32208 (Gateway Town Center)
- District 2 Substation (Arlington / Intracoastal West) 119 Merrill Rd., Suite 26, 32225 (Merrill Crossing)
- District 3 Substation (Mandarin / Southside) 8875 Liberty Ridge Dr., Suite 110, 32256 (Prominence Parkway)
- District 4 Substation (Avondale / Ortega / Westside) 3726 Blanding Blvd., 32210 (Cedar Hills Shopping Center)
- District 5 Substation (Baldwin / New Town / Northwest / Riverside) 1767 Kings Rd., 32209 (Edward Waters University)
- District 6 Substation (Northside / San Mateo / Oceanway) 1680 Dunn Ave., Suite 39, 32218 (Rutgers Plaza)
JSO encourages drivers to always park in well-lit areas, close and lock all doors and windows, keep valuables hidden and never leave your keys inside a running vehicle unattended.
