Should trends continue, Colorado will verge on twice the national per capita theft rate by the end of the year
Sheridan, Colo.—AAA Colorado has joined with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) and other key state and law enforcement partners in a first-of-its-kind partnership to give Coloradans free devices to stop automotive theft.
Car theft and related crimes are surging to historic levels in Colorado, per data from CATPA. Some jurisdictions report a 1,000-percent increase in catalytic converter theft over 2019, while overall automotive theft is up 57 percent over 2020. All told, should these trends continue, Colorado will verge on twice the national per capita theft rate by the end of the year.
“It’s no secret that having a car stolen or disabled by thieves carries devastating effects for Coloradans and their families,” said Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “What’s more, vehicles are commonly stolen to commit other crimes. Protecting against auto theft protects our communities, plain and simple.”
Per Colorado State Patrol data, 151 stolen catalytic converters were reported to Colorado law enforcement agencies in 2019. In 2020, that number jumped to 930 – an increase of 520 percent.
In 2021, year-to-date , a total of 2485 Coloradans have had their catalytic converter stolen – a 1556-percent increase over 2019 with fully half of the year still ahead.
Fighting Catalytic Converter Theft
Catalytic converter theft is skyrocketing in Colorado and across the country because of a lucrative black market for the precious metals that converters contain. These devices, which help control exhaust emissions, commonly cost well over $1000 to replace. They’re also an attractive target to thieves: They’re easily removed from vehicles, and they’re not equipped with serial or VIN numbers.
Through its network of more than 150 Approved Automotive Repair facilities across Colorado, AAA will apply a non-removable, chemically etched identification number to catalytic converters on vehicles brought in for regular repair or maintenance. Those serial numbers will then be entered into a theft prevention database – searchable by law enforcement, salvage yards, and recyclers – to ensure the catalytic converter isn’t stolen. The installation process takes only a few minutes, and the vehicles will also be equipped with window stickers to warn would-be-thieves of the new theft deterrent.
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