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Public Safety

He used his Honda to film a PSA about car thefts in MoCo. Then it was stolen.

Degan Bartels, who lives in the Rockville area and is a Public Information Officer for the county police department, knew about the increase in vehicles stolen in the area — he even used his car to film a PSA about the issue. Still, he didn’t think...

Dan Murphy • •4 min read
He used his Honda to film a PSA about car thefts in MoCo. Then it was stolen.
Public Safety & Justice

He used his Honda to film a PSA about car thefts in MoCo. Then it was stolen.

By

Elia Griffin

August 3, 2026 6:37 p.m.

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    Anti-theft steering wheel lock. Photo credit: Getty Images

    Degan Bartels, who lives in the Rockville area and is a Public Information Officer for the county police department, knew about the increase in vehicles stolen in the area — he even used his car to film a PSA about the issue. Still, he didn’t think he could be a victim.

    “It’s almost uncanny,” Bartels told Bethesda Today on Friday. “Obviously, I didn’t follow the tips that were outlined in the video because now my car is gone. But it’s a very ironic situation because the next time I see my car will be in the auto theft PSA most likely. Unless it’s recovered.”

    Sometime between the night of July 24 and the morning of July 25, Bartels’ 2026 hybrid hatchback Honda Civic was stolen out of the parking garage of his apartment building. He had bought the car, his dream car, less than two months earlier.

    “It’s a very highly sought-after car,” Bartels said. “They’re flying off the shelves. When I was at the dealership, there was only one left.”

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    So far this year, Montgomery County has seen a 20% increase in auto theft across the county in comparison to 2025, according to Montgomery County police spokesperson Capt. Cody Fields.

    What may be driving the increase in auto thefts, as well as thefts from autos, is a device that can clone key fobs and allow criminals to unlock a car with ease, Fields told Bethesda Today on Friday.

    “Key fobs are becoming vulnerable,” Fields said. “Key fobs operate on a frequency, and there are devices that can scan for frequencies to allow access to cars to either take equipment, valuables, anything that’s left out, or even the car itself.”

    Fields noted that as of Friday, the department had arrested more than 90 juveniles and more than 40 adults related to auto thefts this year. Often stolen cars are stripped for parts but also have been used for other “criminal activity,” such as burglaries and robberies, according to Fields.

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    “We’re finding that stolen cars are a possible nexus to this,” Fields said.

    As a public information officer for the police department, Bartels said that he knew that auto thefts were on the rise and knew the steps one could take to protect their car. Those measures include using a steering wheel lock, putting a GPS location device on the car, keeping the car locked when not in use, parking in a well-lit area, never leaving the keys in the car, removing all valuable items from the car and never leaving the car running unattended.

    Even if his car is recovered, Bartels said he was not sure if he’d want it back. Several years ago, when Bartels was in college, his first car – a used 1999 Honda Civic — was stolen, he said. That car was quickly recovered, but it was completely “trashed,” he said.

    “The fact that someone else has taken it, been in it, driven it, done who knows what with it … at this point, I almost don’t even want it back,” Bartels said.

    Before this, Kia and Hyundai model cars were especially vulnerable to car thefts, as videos showing tricks to break into and steal the cars went viral on social media in 2023.

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    Following a rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts across the country, the car companies settled a $200 million class-action lawsuit with customers, allowing eligible owners to access software upgrades that prevent theft. In addition, law enforcement agencies, including in Maryland and Montgomery County, began partnering with Kia and Hyundai dealerships to offer software upgrades to eligible cars and give away free steering wheel locks.

    Fields told Bethesda Today that the department has been finding that steering wheel locks can prove effective in deterring criminals from stealing cars. He added that the department has a “very finite number” of the wheel locks and is in the process of trying to get more to provide to residents for free.

    Fields also said that owners of push-to-start cars can purchase a Faraday bag that can block incoming and outgoing signals from the key fob. Placing a car key fob into the bag can secure the signal and keep it undetectable from a key fob cloning device, he explained.

    Bartels added that the best first step to take after your car is stolen is to report it to the police as soon as possible. He explained that the vehicle and its license plates are entered into a national database and can be flagged by license plate readers.

    “It’s usually a great way for officers to recover stolen vehicles,” Bartels said. “There’s been nothing back on my car yet.”

    Bartels encouraged county residents to take the vehicle theft issue seriously and take what measures they can to secure their vehicle, especially if it is their dream car.

    “I was someone who thought, you know, ‘I work for the police. I live in a very nice community. Surely this won’t happen to me,’” Bartels said. “I can tell you, crime doesn’t care where you work. It doesn’t care who you are. Doesn’t care about any of that. If the criminals want it, they will come to get it, and that’s why you need to be safe.”

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    Originally published at Bethesdamagazine