A huge uptick in stolen vehicles this summer in Milwaukee; so who's responsible, and how are they doing it?

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Auto thefts on the rise in parts of Milwaukee -- and that has Milwaukee police speaking out about who they think is behind the crimes.

Police are saying this summer, stealing vehicles seems to be the new thing for teenagers.

Most of us can't fire up a vehicle unless we have the keys -- but Peter Caldwell with Grube's Towing says some models are easy to get into -- and there's not much to revving the engine and taking off.

"They`re taking the ignition cylinder -- where you normally would put your key in -- they`re taking that out and then you can just take a screwdriver and turn that and be able to start the car," Caldwell said.

That's a "not-so-secret" secret on the streets of Milwaukee these days.

Police say motor vehicle thefts for the first six months are up nearly 70% over the same period in 2013.

"The thefts increased almost over 100% in both May and June -- and as we know, auto thefts tend to be a bit higher in the warmer months, so clearly we`re more than a little worried going forward," Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.

Chief Flynn says stealing cars has become the new "it" think for some of Milwaukee's teenagers.

"It has become the exciting thing to do to impress your friends," Chief Flynn said.

Caldwell with Grube's Towing says they end up hauling stolen cars to homes or repair shops after they've been recovered. He says this year, the number of stolen cars they're responding to is way up.

"In the last month, two months we`re seeing probably six or seven a day that we`re doing at the high point. Sometimes it`s one or two," Caldwell said.

That's compared to what Caldwell says used to be one or two a week in year's past.

To fight what seems to be a new fad, and make sure your car doesn't become a casualty -- Chief Flynn recommends getting a crime prevention device to lock on your steering wheel.

"A small percentage of them will still saw through the steering wheel -- but most won`t. They`ll go elsewhere," Chief Flynn said.

Police say more than half of all motor vehicle thefts this year have involved Chrysler vehicles.

The top five stolen models are the Dodge Caravan, Dodge Intrepid, Dodge Stratus, Chrysler Town and Country and the Dodge Neon.

We're told 85% of stolen vehicles have been recovered this year.