Since 2025 began, over 60 stolen cars have been reported to the CPD — an 88% increase compared to the 32 thefts in January and February 2024, according to CPD records emailed to The Lantern. Credit: Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo.

Since 2025 began, over 60 stolen cars have been reported to the CPD — an 88% increase compared to the 32 thefts in January and February 2024, according to CPD records emailed to The Lantern. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo

A kitchen knife was the only way Lainey Harris could start her car, after it was stolen and abandoned roughly three blocks from her house.

A third-year in marketing, Harris received a call from the Columbus Division of Police late Dec. 9, 2024, following a long day of studying for finals. Her car, a Hyundai, had been found in an alley with an empty tank of gas, she said. Because the thieves used a knife to hotwire Harris’ car, she said she had to use the same tool to drive until it was fixed after she finished her finals.

“I literally had a knife in my purse, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is my car key for now,’” Harris said. “It was definitely a little bit of a setback.”

Since 2025 began, over 60 stolen cars have been reported to the CPD — an 88% increase compared to the 32 thefts in January and February 2024, according to CPD records emailed to The Lantern.

This month, 13 thefts were reported within a mile of Ohio State’s campus, according to the online Community Crime Map. Operated by LexusNexus, the map uses CPD data to track crime happening off campus, per prior Lantern reporting.

Mark Hauenstein, a CPD officer, said in an email car thefts are “crimes of opportunity.”

“Therefore, it is difficult to predict future outcomes in this area,” Hauenstein said.

Hauenstein said some car models, specifically Kia and Hyundai, are simply easier than others to steal. Cars left running to warm up in the cold, combined with bored teenagers and financial hardship, could contribute to vehicle theft, he said.

After ripping off the handle of Harris’ Hyundai, the thieves removed the hard plastic covering below her steering wheel, exposing the wires. They then used a knife to start her car, she said.

Harris is just one of 37 people whose car was stolen in December 2024, according to CPD records.

Hauenstein said people can help protect their vehicles by parking in a garage. If that is not an option, he said parking in well-lit areas or places with high pedestrian traffic is ideal.

Harris said she now makes sure to park in busy areas to make her car stand out less to potential thieves.

“I try to park around as many cars as I can, so it’s not far away from [a] restaurant or where I’m at, just so that people would maybe be more prone to not breaking in when there’s other people around,” Harris said.

If someone has a car alarm, Hauenstein said, it should be activated every time they leave their vehicle. Additionally, valuables — or anything that might appear desirable to steal — should be hidden from plain sight or removed from one’s vehicle in between trips, he said.

After the incident, Harris said she has taken extra precautions to protect her car from getting stolen again.

“I have this big, heavy-duty steering wheel lock where, even if they were to break in, they can’t move it side to side,” Harris said.

Additionally, Harris said her roommates park behind her car to make it more difficult for someone to leave if the vehicle gets broken into again.

“There was no car behind me, so they easily got out,” Harris said. “I started having my roommates [block my car in], which I think helped.”

CPD uses various strategies to prevent car thefts, Hauenstein said. These include having officers dress in regular clothing when they’re patrolling the streets, organizing targeted patrols based on crime data and operating the Real Time Crime Center, which monitors video cameras across Columbus.

Harris said her car was stolen from its usual spot behind her house. By turning off her car’s headlights before driving away, the thieves were able to remain undetected from the motion-sensitive cameras on her porch, she said.

“I got to the police and I was like, ‘Oh, I have cameras. Let me look,’ and there was nothing on there,” Harris said.

Harris said she was unaware her car was stolen until the police called her. Even if she had noticed her vehicle was gone before the call, she said she probably would have called them anyway.

If someone realizes their car has been stolen, their first step should be to call the police, Hauenstein said. After providing their vehicle information and confirming it wasn’t towed, the police will note where the car was parked, when it was stolen and any identifying features to try to locate and recover it.