Here are the areas where your car is most likely to get stolen in the Denver metro area

Julia Carter, a brand new mother, had her automobile stolen in lower than half-hour whereas she went inside an Aurora Walmart for child method.

“I had my daughter’s automobile seat in there, her stroller. Stroll out, and the automobile’s gone. I nearly had a panic assault,” she mentioned.

Carter’s story is one shared by many throughout the Denver metro space.

“Automotive thefts are considerably growing. It’s prolific, troublesome,” mentioned Lakewood Police Cmdr. Mike Greenwell, who leads the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Activity Power (CMATT). “No matter we’re doing isn’t working.”

Colorado is notoriously No. 1 within the nation for automobile thefts, with extra vehicles stolen per capita than some other state within the nation, in accordance with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau.

“We’re outranking California at this level,” Greenwell mentioned.

Denver7 Investigates dug into the information supplied by CMATT and located automobile thefts are up 173% up to now three years and there are particular sizzling spots the place vehicles are more likely to be stolen.

Auto Theft Scorching Spots within the Denver Metro

Knowledge evaluation uncovered 5 key sizzling spots and one frequent denominator with all of them. Thieves prefer to steal vehicles from residence complexes and enormous parking garages.

“As a result of there’s a bigger focus of automobiles. There’s much less chance that somebody goes to see them,” Greenwell mentioned.

The primary sizzling spot the information uncovered is round Sloan’s Lake in Denver, the place there’s a heavy focus of residence complexes. Within the first 4 months of 2022, 117 vehicles had been stolen from this space.

Decrease Downtown between 14th St. and nineteenth St. additionally confirmed up as a sizzling spot. Right here, once more, there are loads of parking garages and greater than 100 vehicles stolen in the identical time-frame.

Denver Worldwide Airport and the motels round Tower Highway are additionally prime targets for automobile thieves. One-hundred 5 vehicles had been stolen from January to April of this yr.

“Six miles across the airport has at all times been considerably of a hotspot,” Greenwell mentioned.

Denver7 Investigates

Denver Police Division knowledge reveals auto theft experiences at DIA have greater than doubled up to now three years.

“And the rationale for that’s thieves now know that loads of our unsuspecting victims drive to those motels, drive to the airport, and so they’re gone for greater than 24 hours,” Greenwell mentioned.

Lakewood’s Belmar Buying Heart can also be close to the highest of the checklist for motorized vehicle thefts, with 81, as does Aurora’s Metropolis Heart, the place 56 vehicles have been snatched since January.

Auto thefts in Denver and Colorado | 360 In-Depth dives into the numbers

Legislation enforcement says harsher penalties wanted

“We’ve got fewer individuals going to jail for auto theft,” Greenwell mentioned. “There’s no ramifications to the auto thief for stealing that automobile.”

Greenwell mentioned lawmakers have watered down the penalties for auto theft and allowed the criminals who’re caught to stroll inside days, if not hours, of being arrested. Catalytic converter thefts have additionally turn out to be a large drawback within the metro space.

MORE: As automobile thefts explode in Colorado, Aurora compelled to drag officers from statewide auto theft activity drive

“We’ve got one suspect that we talked with, and he mentioned he steals anyplace from one to 10 vehicles a day as a result of he can,” he mentioned.

Greenwell is asking on lawmakers to behave and forestall Coloradans from being victimized. An Aurora Metropolis Councilman just lately launched an ordinance to create obligatory jail time for motorized vehicle theft.

Victims take issues into their very own arms

Victims like Carter, pissed off with the police response, have turned to the general public Fb web page known as Colorado Stolen Vehicles to seek out her lacking Hyundai.

“If it wasn’t for that web page, I don’t assume my automobile would have been discovered. That web page is doing a lot for the neighborhood,” Carter mentioned.

MORE: Catalytic converter thefts: What vehicles are being focused, the place it is taking place, & how one can defend your self

With the assistance of the Fb web page, Carter discovered her automobile in Denver, miles away from the Walmart the place it was stolen.

“You by no means assume your automobile goes to get stolen till it truly occurs to you,” she mentioned.