Last week Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver Police Department (DPD) Chief Ron Thomas announced a new comprehensive strategy for fighting auto thefts in Denver. This strategy will expand existing efforts by DPD and ensure that Denver’s auto theft response remains coordinated and effective.
The plan consists of five key strategies:
- Moving the Denver Auto Theft Team (DATT) within DPD from pilot to permanent, dedicat- ing a team of detectives to solely focus on auto theft.
- Building a citywide network of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) devices that will allow DPD to easily locate vehicles involved in crimes.
- Hosting community events to retrofit frequently stolen vehicle models with anti-theft software.
- Continue to encourage Denverites to take part in DPD’s successful DenverTrack program, which works with vehicles’ GPS systems to track stolen vehicles in real time.
- Invest in recruiting diverse police recruit classes to restore DPD to full authorized strengthand increase patrol capacity to respond to crime.
“Around 30 cars a day are stolen in our city. This is a huge impact on people’s lives, especially families with only one vehicle,” said Mayor Mike Johnston. “We are taking crime seriously and are proud to announce a comprehensive approach to auto thefts throughout Denver.”
