Colorado is on track for the second year in a row to be the No. 1 state in the entire nation for auto theft. That’s more than a dubious distinction – it’s a wakeup call.

As cops will tell you, auto theft isn’t merely a property crime; it’s one of those leading indicators that says a lot about public safety in general. And Colorado’s overall crime rate has indeed surged over the past few years.

Worse still, auto theft is turning out all too often to be a violent crime in its own right. It’s a form of theft that leads not only to the loss of possessions but also of lives. We were reminded of that grim reality by a couple of terrifying and tragic incidents over the past several days.

The Gazette reported last week that a shooting at a light-rail station in Douglas County had left two suspects dead and a law officer injured. County sheriff’s deputies were patrolling the station’s parking lot when they noticed a “suspicious Black Kia with no license plates and the locks punched out.” The deputies announced themselves and knocked on the windows but did not get a response before the suspects opened fire through the vehicle’s side windows.

The deputies returned fire, and the vehicle’s two occupants died at the scene. One deputy was hit in the face with auto glass and went to the hospital with minor injuries.

Both suspects had warrants for their arrest – related to prior auto thefts. One of them was also wanted for questioning in another shooting, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. 

What’s more, the car involved in last week’s shootout had also been reported stolen from Pueblo.

Then, on Sunday, a woman was shot to death in what investigators believe was an attempted carjacking in Boulder County. As reported by The Gazette, authorities believe the woman and her mother, who was driving their vehicle, happened upon a group whose car broke down while they were fleeing Larimer County law enforcement. The driver had been suspected of driving under the influence.

One member of the group allegedly got out of the broken-down vehicle and shot at the victim’s passing vehicle, killing her, in an attempt to hijack the car, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities later arrested three suspects. Two of the three were previous offenders, and two had outstanding warrants related to prior offenses.

It is a familiar theme: suspects in auto thefts having prior criminal records – often for auto theft. Commander Mike Greenwell of the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority recently observed that, “97% of the people who have been arrested in the last three years for auto theft have multiple arrests for auto theft.”

And it’s no wonder, given a legislature with a Democratic majority bent on “justice reform” – and determined to water down penalties for auto theft among other crimes.

Colorado law was changed in 2014 to reduce the penalties for auto theft – which began escalating around that time. In 2021, another “reform” bill passed the legislature, making it a misdemeanor to steal a car valued $2,000 or less. It previously was a felony to steal a car valued $1,000 or more.

Bottom line: the people stealing Coloradans’ cars in all too many cases have been busted for doing it before. And if Colorado’s laws as well as many of its courts weren’t so lenient, many still would be behind bars.

Denver Gazette Editorial Board