Centennial State News

The Broomfield Police Department (BPD) of Colorado is distributing DIY kits to help prevent catalytic converter thefts.

In the midst of a surge in catalytic converter thefts, the BPD has been handing out DIY kits to residents to protect the parts from being stolen, CBS News reported. The kits include a bar code that can be applied to the converter, as well as a sticker alerting would-be thieves that the converter is registered. The police department said they opened 200 slots online for residents to come claim the kits, and that all the slots were filled within 15 minutes. The police continued to accept walk-ins even when all the spots were filled.

"The BPD, in conjunction with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority, has given away more than 150 catalytic converter DIY anti-theft kits today! Our appointments are all full for Tuesday, but walkups will be welcome while supplies last!" the BPD wrote in a Facebook post.

BPD Spokeswoman Rachel Haslett said it's hard to find someone who hasn't been impacted by the thefts.

"A lot of people who park outside, whether they live in an apartment complex or perhaps don't use their garage, are at risk for catalytic converter theft," Haslett said, according to CBS.

According to a recent report from Denver City Wire, there were more car thefts in Colorado last year than in any other state in the country, based on data from the Colorado Department of Public Safety. The rate of motor vehicle theft in Colorado almost doubled between 2019 and 2021, increasing from 377 to 637 per 100,000 residents. The rate of car theft in the state is more than double the national average of 246 per 100,000 residents, according to the report.

Almost 37,000 cars were stolen in Colorado last year, and Colorado State Police predict that thieves will steal almost 44,000 vehicles this year, which would result in $425 million in financial losses for individual Coloradans – triple the amount of losses incurred in 2018, Denver City Wire reported.

State law enforcement leaders pointed to "recent legislation and policy changes" for causing the increase in vehicle thefts in a letter to Gov. Jared Polis, according to the report. 

"The General Assembly has passed several bills, which you have signed into law, that make crime prevention more difficult, and prioritize offenders over victims and public safety," according to the letter, which was sent from the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, Colorado Fraternal Order of Police and County Sheriffs of Colorado. "The inability to arrest and hold offenders results in offenders continuing to commit criminal acts, often escalating the severity of their crimes, and putting victims in fear of becoming revictimized."

Some officials within the Polis administration have tried to put the blame on the pandemic or on car owners themselves for the increase in thefts, according to the report. A report from Colorado's Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center states "the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent efforts by state and local governments to mitigate the spread of the disease are evident" causes of the rise in motor vehicle thefts, because vehicles were "left parked" and unattended and therefore were vulnerable to theft.