CSPD: Car vandalism and thefts are on the rise in Colorado Springs | KRDO

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)– The number of cars stolen by thieves is skyrocketing across southern Colorado.

Just this year, police are investigating more than 650 vehicle thefts in Colorado Springs. Employees at auto body shops in the city have also told KRDO 13 that they’re also seeing an increase in the number of repairs after criminals attempt to steal vehicles, and it’s not a cheap fix. 

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says they saw a 33 percent increase in stolen vehicles and it just keeps going up. 

“2024 through March, we’re at about a 27% increase year to year,” said CSPD officer Brian Corrado. “I will tell you, it’s an hourly thing. We get calls all day long on vehicles that have been stolen.”

Chris French is the manager at Karle Coachworks and he said they are repairing more cars with damage from criminals who actually fail to successfully steal a car. 

“I had a Toyota Camry come in that they tried to break or they broke into. They tried to steal it and destroyed the whole door handle and the shell of the door, ” added French. “So it started out as just being a door handle needing to be replaced, but actually needs the whole door because they damaged the shell and the inner structure of it.”

“Usually breaking windows, obviously door handles, breaking into the lock cylinders, and then the whole ignition gets destroyed and ripped out, ” added French.

In 2023, police recovered about 70 percent of stolen vehicles in Colorado Springs, and police say many of those cars are in rough shape. 

“They’ll drill out the holes here on the lock cylinder and then that actually destroys this whole backing in here on the Camry that I have coming in. They actually destroyed the metal around here and the reinforcement and that’s why it’s going to need the door replaced. But I mean, obviously, these are made to come apart from the inside, not the outside.” said French. “So they destroy all of this, just trying to get into the vehicle. It could cost anywhere from 20 dollars to 500 easily.”

There are ways people can try and prevent their cars from being stolen.

“I personally use one of the club devices that stops, the brake pedal from being able to be pressed, because most of the new vehicles you have to press the brake to start it,” said French.

CSPD mentioned it’s a lot harder for criminals to steal newer cars with auto start and added that many new cars also have theft-prevention software as well.