Ohio State security report shows spike in motor vehicle thefts in 2023

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The number of car thefts on Ohio State University’s campus sharply increased last year, according to its recently released annual security report.

The university saw 114 motor vehicle thefts on its Columbus campus in 2023, compared with 26 in 2022 and 29 in 2021. A partial reason for the sharp increase is due to the definition of “motor vehicle” expanding to include electric scooters and e-bikes in 2023, according to OSU spokesperson Dan Hedman. 

Of the 114 incidents, 68 involved personal electric vehicles, Hedman said. However, when not accounting for e-scooters or e-bikes, there was still an increase of 20 on-campus vehicle thefts last year compared with 2022.

“The increased motor vehicle thefts reflect a local and national trend,” Hedman said. “We anticipate that this statistic will continue to increase as the university builds new facilities off-campus.”

Nationwide, motor vehicle thefts have been steadily rising since 2019, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Vehicle thefts increased about 1% from 1,008,756 in 2022 to 1,020,729 in 2023. The bureau found Ohio was the state with the eighth-most vehicle thefts in the country last year, at 31,647.

Social media has played a role in the uptick in car thefts across the country in recent years, with a TikTok trend going viral in 2021 called the "Kia Challenge," showing users how to steal Kias and Hyundais.

The trend has resulted in an increase in teenagers stealing cars in central Ohio and nationwide. The number of monthly filings in Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court also saw a jump in 2023, at an average of 94. The average monthly filing was 77 in 2022, 55 in 2021 and 42 in 2019, according to data published by the court.

The university has measures in place to combat the nationwide and local trend, including expanded police and security patrols, lights and cameras, Hedman said.