Colorado saw an increase of roughly 4,000 stolen vehicles in 2022 compared to 2021. As the trend of automotive theft continues to rise, state legislators and district attorneys are pushing back.
Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 97 on Friday, which changed how the law viewed motor vehicle thefts.
Previously, the level of charge and sentence for a car theft was based on the monetary value of the vehicle. This meant that a high-end stolen vehicle would hold a heavier sentence than a low-end vehicle.
“When a single-car family has their car stolen, they suffer just as much as someone who has their high-end vehicle stolen,” a news release from the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office states.
The new law will make the sentencing ranges for all auto thefts the same.
Officials also pushed to strengthen the charging language and penalties for auto theft in the new law. Auto thefts will begin as Class 5 felonies. If there are aggravating circumstances such as an alteration of the license plate, the vehicle leaves the state or if there is over $1,000 in damage done to the vehicle after it is stolen the charge moves to a Class 4 felony.
Thieves who have at least two prior convictions for auto theft could face a Class 3 felony charge.
The law also allowed for a much lower charge in some cases. A Class 1 misdemeanor offense was written in to allow for the unauthorized use of a vehicle. This would come into play if a person took a car but returned it within 24 hours without any damage or involvement in another criminal activity.
The lesser charge was constructed for situations such as when a young person takes their grandparents’ car without permission and returns it unharmed.
“Auto thefts are a serious problem in Colorado ... This law will provide law enforcement and prosecutors with more effective tools to hold prolific car thieves fully accountable. With the new law, as well as the technological improvements for law enforcement, we are hopeful that there will be a significant decrease in the number of cars stolen in Colorado. I am grateful that Governor Polis and legislators prioritized auto theft as a serious problem for our community members,” said Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty.
