Auto thefts up in Richmond, police giving Honda drivers free steering wheel locks

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- With vehicle thefts on the rise across the City of Richmond, police are offering free steering wheel locks to Honda owners throughout the city.

To prevent Honda thefts, which police say are on the rise in Richmond, free steering wheel locks will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis at every police precinct in the city.

The program is being offered for Honda owners as a "secondary security measure," per police, and the free steering wheel locks will only be given to Richmond residents.

In June, 8News reported that police had seen a spike in vehicle break-ins over a span of two weeks, particularly the city’s Third Precinct — which includes areas like Willow Lawn, Carytown and the Museum District.

Richmond Police reported 84 break-ins in Sector 311 as of Thursday, June 19. This was up from 43 around the same time in 2024.

In many of these cases, police reported that, aside from spare change or valuables being stolen, firearms had been taken from unlocked cars.

Just in the last year across the United States, Honda Civics are one of the most commonly stolen vehicles -- with 15,727 thefts -- according to recent data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).