The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) is launching a new motor vehicle theft program focused on addressing trends in auto theft. It comes after the city saw a 45% increase in thefts year over year, with a nearly 800% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles specifically, according to a city spokesperson. "It's groups of, primarily juveniles, that are committing these crimes," Bellevue Police Officer Seth Tyler said. "That's driven by this online, Kia Boyz phenomenon that we've seen. So we're going to be going after these groups, even if we're filing in juvenile court, we'll be doing that." BPD said as part of the new task force, crime prevention analysts will monitor case information and analyze data to identify repeat offenders and pinpoint areas at high-risk throughout the city. READ MORE: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/public-safety/bellevue-police-department-launches-auto-theft-task-force-2024/281-5944a3ec-10d6-4f6a-a6e5-4279e9c1896d