Kia Boys Documentary (A Story of Teenage Car Theft)
Why Hacker News recommends it
It is cited as a firsthand look at the Kia and Hyundai theft wave, usually in threads about car security and juvenile crime.
What it is
A Milwaukee vlogger follows teenagers known as the Kia Boys who steal Kia and Hyundai cars after a security flaw went viral on social media. The film includes interviews with participants.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2022 to 2023.
What Hacker News said
Recommends deepdriver · 2022-08 · on “I hacked my car”
The "Kia Boys" in Milwaukee stole almost 10,000 cars last year, mostly Kia and Hyundai models lacking immobilizers. That's 1 car theft per 58 city residents, in a single year. This gonzo documentary on the phenomenon's worth watching: [this video]
Cites reducesuffering · 2022-06 · on “Chesa Boudin Recalled by San Francisco Voters”
There is actually a very real concept that known penalties deters crime. If you stop any significant punishment, criminals are aware, emboldened, and crime increases. Milwaukee is recently reeling in thousands of reckless car thefts, and this is what the perps say themselves: "I know people who have got 200 car thefts, 300 car thefts." Interviewer: "Have you thought about how you would do that time?" "Shit, you only get 3 weeks. It's a misdemeanor!" Interviewer: "You only do 3 weeks for stealing a car?" "Hell ya, it's a misdemeanor." [this video]
Cites farmaway · 2023-02 · on “Hyundai and Kia forced to update millions of vehicles due to TikTok challenge”
Milwaukee vlogger's experience hanging out with car-stealing "Kia Boys:" [this video] Over 10,000 cars were stolen in Milwaukee in 2021. That's one stolen auto for every 60 Milwaukee residents, young and old. South Korea's full of vulnerable Kia and Hyundai vehicles, yet doesn't have this problem of teenage serial car thieves. American social dysfunction is a big part of the equation that results in the numbers above.
Cites kkielhofner · 2023-02 · on “Hyundai and Kia forced to update millions of vehicles due to TikTok challenge”
From what I know all of this originated in Milwaukee with the original "Kia Boyz"[0]. It's been going on there for years - to the point where I've seen wedding invitations that explicitly state not to bring a Kia/Hyundai to Milwaukee. Additionally, car rental companies will not rent Kia/Hyundai anywhere near Milwaukee. As is the case with most car thefts they are an absolute menace to the streets. "Drive it like it's stolen" is a very real thing[1][2]. Warning - discussion on this topic gets especially racist very quickly so as usual ignore the comments. Seriously, don't even look. [0] - [this video] [1] - [LINK] [2] - [LINK]
Cites jjkmk · 2023-03 · on “Hyundai Promises to Keep Buttons in Cars”
They steal them drive them around recklessly for a few hours, the crash into a light pole. Its not professional criminals stealing these cars, its 13 year old kids: [this video]
Cites tedkalaw · 2023-05 · on “Parts for stolen Hyundais and Kias are so scarce the cars are being totaled”
If you haven’t heard of the Kia boys over here in the states, it’s definitely something. This vid is…a bit controversial but the Kia boys are definitely a thing in Milwaukee: [this video]
Cites neurobama · 2023-05 · on “The 1% of the population accountable for 63 % of all violent crime convictions (2013)”
I'm used to snide refusals to have this discussion. In the interest of salvaging some bit of useful discourse, I'll reply to your points in order: - Not to any great extent. Crime rates, tracked independently by murder rates (it's hide to hard bodies) and the National Crime Victimization Survey, broadly match arrest and incarceration rates by race. There is a slight bias towards longer sentences for black criminals, but this shrinks to a ~10% longer sentence duration for violent crimes as you include prior convictions and the severity of the crime. Not surprising given that wealthier defendants, as non-black criminals tend more often to be, can afford better lawyers. The studies I recall wer
Cites reducesuffering · 2023-12 · on “To Revive Portland, Officials Seek to Recriminalize Public Drug Use”
Not to mention every street interview with a criminal involves them gleefully detailing how they only get a misdemeanor and let out easily. [this video] [LINK]