New Colorado State Patrol report shows auto theft is down in the state

DENVER (KDVR) — New research released by the Colorado State Patrol reveals a significant reduction in auto theft in 2023 from the year before.

The 2023 Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center Annual Report shows stolen vehicle reports were down 21% in 2023, amounting to 8,680 fewer thefts compared to 2022.

Colorado experienced a stunning 98% increase in auto theft cases between 2018 and 2022. There were 32,976 reports of stolen vehicles in 2023, which translates to 560 per 100,000 residents. On average, there were 713 stolen vehicles per 100,000 residents in 2022.

Cale Gould, Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority’s public outreach coordinator, said auto theft is often associated with other crimes.

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“Auto theft has a huge effect on other crimes in Colorado. It can be connected to smash and grab burglaries, involved in hit and runs,” said Gould.

The state patrol credits the reduction in car thefts to tougher laws, law enforcement strategies and efforts made by drivers to practice safety measures.

The Problem Solvers looked into how technology can help drivers to protect their cars. Security expert Matt Flanigan of Car Toys said upgraded dash cams can sense suspicious activity and two-way remote start systems can notify drivers of criminal activity through an app even when they are not adjacent to a siren.

“A microphone actually listens for the frequency of glass breaking. It tells you that your alarm is going off, tells you where on the car the alarm is going off instead of just the basic loud siren in the parking lot that you can’t hear,” said Flanigan.

The ATICC report shows that 51% of all stolen cars are found outside of the city where they were taken, so a GPS tracker is advised if you’re looking to recover your car. Other technology has features that include the ability to disable the car remotely.

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Many insurance carriers either require a certain type of security system or offer policy discounts if additional security is installed.

The patrol’s report shows the most frequently stolen cars are Hyundai Elantra, Chevrolet Silverado and Kia manufactured cars.

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