DENVER (KDVR) — Denver’s mayor and police chief announced a five-step plan on Thursday to crack down on auto thefts, including the installation of 111 new license plate readers around the city and 167 new officers.
In 2022, Denver led the country for having the most auto thefts. The mayor and police chief said they’re confident these five new steps will help people keep their cars:
- Moving the Denver Auto Theft Team within the Denver Police Department from pilot to permanent, dedicating a team of detectives to solely focus on auto theft
- Building a citywide network of automated license plate recognition devices that will allow the police department to easily locate vehicles involved in crimes
- Hosting community events to retrofit frequently stolen vehicle models with anti-theft software
- Continue to encourage Denverites to take part in the department’s DenverTrack program , which works with vehicles’ GPS systems to track stolen vehicles in real time
- Invest in recruiting diverse police recruit classes to restore the department to full authorized strength and increase patrol capacity to respond to crime