Covington police providing free steering wheel locks for certain car owners

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Some Kia and Hyundai drivers in Covington can receive extra protection against car thieves.

Covington police are now offering free steering wheel locks for owners of certain models.

The steering wheel locks are available for Kia models from 2011 to 2021 that use a steel key to start the ignition.

In Hyundai, the locks are available for models from 2011 to 2021 that have a keyed ignition and don't have an immobilizer.

The locks prevent the steering wheel from moving but officers said they are not perfect, but they hope it gives drivers a sense of security.

"The more hurdles that a thief has to go over to get to your stuff or to steal your car, the less likely they are to do so," Lt. Justin Bradbury said. "So locking your door alone is actually quite a big step. We have video of thieves just walking down the street and they're just trying door handles and all the locked ones. They just move on."

The police department is giving the locks out on a first-come, first-served basis if you can prove to police that you live in the city and have an impacted vehicle.

The locks are available to be picked up from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.