Gov. Jared Polis released his balanced budget proposal for 2023-24 on Tuesday, including a public safety package totaling $42.1 million.
Of that, $12.6 million will be dedicated over two years to the prevention and prosecution of auto theft, and to support district attorneys in communities with high rates of auto theft. Auto theft is the leading property crime in Colorado and has increased by 120% since 2019, according to a report earlier this year by the Common Sense Institute.
The budget to address these issues includes increased resources for technology solutions, law enforcement task force focused on auto theft and support for district attorneys.
“Far too many residents have had their cars stolen over the past year, which has a terrible impact on the victim and their family,” Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a statement. “Our state needs to address behavioral health needs to decrease the number of auto thefts being committed. As a state, we should provide more support and resources to law enforcement so that they are better able to identify and arrest car thieves.”
Dougherty added that prosecutors must be able to hold offenders responsible through the prosecution of cases, especially major theft rings. The district attorney’s office added their strong support for the other initiatives highlighted in Polis’ budget.
The governor’s proposal includes $5 million to expand the existing network of sober recovery homes run by community providers to support offender reentry and reduce recidivism, $4.5 million to recruit and retain local law enforcement officers and $4.5 million in grant funding to community organizations for local public safety solutions. The programs that could be supported include co-responder, violence interrupter, early intervention, restorative justice and other research informed crime prevention strategies.
Other investments include a half million dollars for a technical assistance hub to support the implementation of these programs, $1.1 million to address high-risk concerns like fugitive apprehension, gang disengagement and preventing violent extremist threats and just under a million dollars toward piloting a virtual training program to support education in the trades for incarcerated individuals.
Another $5.4 million will bolster the state’s investigative capacity, creating two additional special investigation units with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This includes adding expertise to help jurisdictions handle crime challenges like fentanyl and the expansion of a toxicology lab.
