Fewer vehicles were reported stolen in Colorado in 2006 compared with previous years, according to a report released Friday.
While the state grew by more than 83,000 residents, motor-vehicle theft fell nearly 20 percent statewide, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation report, Crime in Colorado 2006.
Colorado usually ranks in the top 15 states with the highest motor-vehicle theft, said Lance Clem, public-information officer for the bureau.
Statistics are based on crimes reported to the bureau by law-enforcement agencies for the year.
National statistics have not been released, he said, but the decrease is significant for the state.
In 2006, 20,305 vehicles were reported stolen, compared with 25,315 in 2005, according to the annual reports.
Clem credits the decrease to multiagency task forces throughout the state targeting vehicle theft.
Typically when a county works alone, attention stops at its border, said Jerry Cole, vice chairman of the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority.
“The regional concept is, we don’t care if the suspect steals a vehicle in Aurora, lives in Denver and sells the car’s parts in Lakewood,” he said.
Collaboration makes more efficient work of catching repeat offenders and professional thieves, Cole said, and cuts a significant amount of crime in Colorado.
“These people are responsible for many, many auto thefts,” he said.
The task forces have been operating since 2004 and are currently working in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and the Denver area, among other regions.
Whether the decline continues will take more time to figure out.
“Give it a couple of years before we know if it’s a real trend,” Clem said.
The report also found that homicides decreased 7.6 percent, robberies decreased 2.3 percent and burglary decreased 5.8 percent.
Forcible rape, which includes attempted offenses, increased by 3 percent, with 2,030 cases reported in 2006 compared with 1,971 in 2005.
Staff writer Simona Gallegos can be reached at 303-954-1555 or sgallegos@
