DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority released a report that auto theft has reached an all-time high in our state.
In their 2021 auto theft report, CATPA shows an 88% increase in motor vehicle thefts since 2017 and an 82% increase just since 2019.
Colorado State Patrol said this should matter to everyone even if your car was not the one stolen, because
they say “the victim of vehicle theft is not solely the owner.”
In many cases, stolen vehicles are used as the means to commit other crimes including drug use or sales, other thefts, armed robberies, burglaries, assaults and homicides, among many others.
About 73% of motor vehicle theft offenders are charged with other crimes, including crimes of violence, property crimes, fraud and drug offenses.
The “most at risk” vehicles are as follows:
- 2005 Chevrolet Silverado Pickup Truck
- 1998 Honda Civic
- 1997 Honda Accord
- 2003 Ford F-250 Pickup Truck
- 2005 GMC Sierra Pickup Truck
- 2014 Ford F-150 Pickup Truck
- 2006 Ford F-350 Pickup Truck
- 2001 and 2005 Dodge/Ram 1500 Pick Trucks
- 2016 Hyundai Sonata
- 1999 and 2000 Honda CR-V
The cities with the highest volume of auto theft are as follows:
- Denver
- Colorado Springs
- Aurora
- Lakewood
- Pueblo
In 2020, 84% of all reported stolen vehicles recovered, which is well above the national average of 56%. However, many stolen vehicles that are recovered need repair, cleaning or may be dismantled.
Increasing theft trends correspond to an adjoining increase in the average value loss of motor vehicle theft. These average value losses are estimated to be an additional $61.8 million in 2020 compared to 2019, and likely another $68.4 million by the end of 2021 given the current trend does not relent. Tap to learn more.
A victim speaks out
Tracie Strauch and her brother have lived in Lakewood for about 36 years.
“It’s a nice area. Well… except for the crime increase!” Tracie said. “We’ve had the same neighbors for 30 some years. We’re right in between a brother and a sister.”
At the beginning of the year, their car was almost stolen right from their driveway.
“It was about one in the morning and I’d gotten up to let the dogs out because they had wanted to go out. So at that point, I was like, alright, and I went out and I heard some stuff but didn’t think too much about it until my brother came in,” Tracie said.
“I heard some ruckus. There was a guy parked in the middle of the street. The other guy was in the car,” Richard said. “Then the other guy’s like ‘Hurry up, get up, get up someone is coming.’ So he ran out of that car, hopped in the backseat of the getaway car, I guess you can call it, and then took off down that way.”
Tracie’s brother, Richard, went after them in another car, while Tracie called the police.
When police got there, the damage had already been done, and the supposed thieves left their tools too.
“There’s the tools! So yeah, so we pretty much scared ’em away from that one,” Tracie said. “Or they would have been a Kia up this house would have been a Kia down.”
The house has cameras but it was too dark to get a good description of the thieves. They’re disheartened by the trends and their hope is the thieves are caught.
“Wow. Yeah, that’s scary, isn’t it?” said Tracie. “Nobody wants to see somebody else’s car taken, at least us honest folks don’t. I don’t want the neighbors to get their car stolen or the people up the street, whether I know them or not. I don’t want anybody’s cars [stolen]. They work hard for their stuff.”
“That was kind of surprising,” Richard said. “That’s scary. Makes me wonder.”
With all the damage to the steering column and ignition, they are out about $3,000-4,000, but they do have insurance.
