JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Officers with the Jackson Police Department (JPD) are working to combat a growing trend of vehicle thefts in the city, especially among Hyundai and Kia drivers.

A TikTok challenge has gained national attention, as well as the attention of local law enforcement agencies.

The hashtag “Kia Boys” became a popular term on social media in recent months for the thieves who would post videos on how to use use tools to steal vehicles.

Interim Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said officers in the capital city are on alert, and they want to make citizens aware about the trend.

“We saw that this was not just an isolated situation in Jackson, Mississippi. It’s a situation that is happening all across the country, and we have to be transparent. If I see that people are being victimized at all, a type of vehicle or whatever the situation may be, we’ll be remiss if we don’t push that information out to the public,” stated Wade.

In a statement, Kia said they have contacted 3.1 million owners and lessees of Kia vehicles in order to let them know of a software upgrade to fix the issue. The company said more than 363,000 eligible customers have had the upgrade installed.