Stolen vehicles in Pueblo on the rise

Stolen vehicles are a growing problem for the people of Pueblo and their police department. So far in 2018, the city is on pace to eclipse the previous record for auto thefts (1,253), which was set just last year in 2017.

Pueblo police tell KRDO they are trying a new analytical approach in hopes of solving the problem. They are analyzing the auto theft numbers and asking questions like where are the vehicles being stolen? When are they being stole? How many are being recovered or found?

The question of how the vehicles are stolen appears to be an easier question for Pueblo Police to answer.

“Sometimes it is as simple as someone leaving their keys in their car,” says Sgt. Franklin Ortega of the Pueblo Police Department. “When they see vehicles left unattended or not being watched, especially for a long period of time. They’ll take advantage and steal it.”

Many of the stolen vehicles in Pueblo are taken from local towing companies, one of which says they have seen an increase of tows involving stolen vehicles in recent years.

“Sometimes they’ll just leave them in a parking lot with a broken ignition,” says Austin Steir, owner of Tom’s Auto Salvage. “I mean we could walk up to the vehicles, start it, and load it right onto our tow trucks.

By looking at the numbers, police hope to better understand why auto thefts are increasing. Ortega says some of the stolen vehicles are used for future crimes, while others are stolen to sell later.

However, Steir has his own theory for why the so many vehicles are being stolen.

“I would say most them use the vehicles to get more drugs and commit rimes,” said Steir. “I would say 95% of the vehicles that we tow that are stolen have drug paraphernalia in them.”

Ortega can’t say what is causing the rapid rise in auto theft numbers, but believes carelessness certainly isn’t helping the situation.

“If you are leaving your vehicle running and think, ‘Oh I will grab that cup of coffee I forgot, then you may come back and your car is gone,” says Sgt. Ortega.

Pueblo police want people to use their common sense when it comes to their vehicles. Urging people to lock their car doors at night, turning of the engine when left unattended, and reporting stolen vehicles as quickly as possible. They say the sooner a report is given to police the more likely the vehicle will be found.