Across the United States, property crimes have been on the decline in recent years. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, property crimes actually decreased 3% between 2016 and 2017. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also reported that car thefts, in particular, have been on a steady decline since the 1990s.
While this is certainly good news, it doesn’t mean that car thefts and property crimes aren’t still occurring in the Denver community. In fact, Denver ranks as one of the worst cities for car thefts in the country. According to the NICB’s annual Hot Spots report, Denver actually ranked 20th in the nation for car thefts.
With a population of just under 3 million, the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood area in Colorado had a car theft rate of 512.11 per 100k residents. This was high enough to take the 20th spot on their annual report. Local police in the area are well aware of the city’s high car theft problem. That’s why they routinely collaborate with Coloradans Against Car Theft and the CAPTA Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force every year to educate the public on the types of cars that are most commonly stolen in the community.
Pueblo, Colorado fared far worse than Denver unfortunately. Here, residents experience property crime at a rate that is twice the national average. In fact, with a population of just over 165,000, Pueblo had a car theft rate of 812.73 per 100k, making it the 3rd worst city in the country for car thefts. Fortunately for Pueblo residents, police officials here are skilled at recovering stolen vehicles. In 2016 alone, they recovered more than half of all stolen vehicles.
Car Theft is a Serious Offense
If you are arrested and charged with a property crime, such as car theft, you could face serious penalties and consequences. In Colorado, there are many different charges and sentences that could apply. To commit a crime of second degree motor vehicle theft, a person must knowingly steal or take another person’s car without authorization. The crime becomes first degree motor vehicle theft if any of the following occurred:
- Retained control of vehicle for more than 24 hours
- Attempted to alter or disguise vehicle
- Attempted to remove VIN
- Using vehicle to commit a crime
- Causing $500 or more in damage
- Causing bodily injury to another person
- Taking vehicle out of state
- Attaching a different license plate to car
Contact Our Boulder Criminal Defense Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been arrested and charged with a property crime, such as car theft, it is important to understand the severity of these charges and how they could adversely affect your entire life. Contact the Boulder criminal defense lawyers at Steven Louth Law Offices today for a free consultation and review of your case. Call us at (303) 422-2297 to start building a solid defense against these serious criminal charges.