Auto thefts have dropped almost as dramatically as they spiked.

The number of auto thefts in the city have fallen close to normal levels after spiking last summer, a Banner analysis of police crime data found. Auto thefts in other counties have also dropped compared to last year.

Last year, people were stealing cars at a rate unseen in Baltimore since the 1990s. More than 1,000 thefts were reported every month between June and November last year. Many attributed the epidemic to videos on social media that outlined how to steal certain models, particularly Hyundais and Kias, with just a screwdriver and a USB cord.

It wasn’t just Baltimore. Car thefts skyrocketed nationwide.

At the height of the surge in Baltimore, auto thefts numbers reached nearly 1,600.

But by the end of June 2024, auto thefts had plummeted by nearly 70% compared to last July. The video, once viral, died down on social media. And everyone is claiming credit for their role on the drop.

Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement that the city is seeing the results of a strategy his administration outlined in November of last year. He also attributed the drop to a “collaborative and proactive approach” between city agencies, law enforcement and neighboring jurisdictions.

Howard County Police also noted a downward trend, which they attribute to the distribution of clubs and AirTags, according to the department’s spokesperson. Baltimore County’s auto thefts have decreased, too, spokesperson Trae Corbin said in a statement to The Baltimore Banner.

City police deployed “highly visible” traffic enforcement in areas considered “hot spots” for car theft, particularly in Northeast Baltimore. The city also increased its use of technology to help track and report auto thefts, including license plate readers, Citiwatch, Baltimore Community Intelligence Center and Foxtrot, the city police department’s helicopters.

The city also held system upgrade clinics for Kia and Hyundai cars, which made up the majority of stolen vehicles last year, Baltimore police spokesperson Lindsay Eldridge said in a statement.

Police arrested more than 330 people on auto theft-related charges and gave out more than 3,000 wheel locks.

Many cities, including Baltimore, filed a federal suit against Kia and Hyundai for failing to install industry-standard anti-theft technology.

Ira Gabriel, a senior group manager for Hyundai, said the car company responded to the thefts with “wide-ranging initiatives.” As of July, Hyundai provided free “anti-theft solutions” to more than 1.3 million cars. The company developed a software upgrade and began installing ignition cylinder protectors for cars that aren’t eligible for the software.

Hyundai cars produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer.

Kia has also provided security upgrades, partnered with city agencies and car insurance companies to distribute free wheel locks and offered hardware modifications to ignition cylinders. Kia has distributed more than 370,000 locks nationwide.

Almost 1.2 million Kias received a software update since the company first developed and rolled it out last year. The update is designed to “restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should a potential criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key,” according to a company statement by James Bell, head of corporate communications.

“We remain focused on working with law enforcement agencies across the country and moving forward to continue to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it,” he said.