Colorado State Patrol announces grant funding to help victims of motor vehicle theft

COLORADO (KRDO) -- Colorado State Patrol (CSP) announced Thursday they're providing financial aid to victims of motor vehicle theft using new grant funds allocated through Colorado legislation.

According to CSP, they received funding through the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) and the Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE) Motor Vehicle Theft Program as specified under Colorado Senate Bill 23-257, a law that went into effect June 2023.

The money CSP receives will go toward helping victims with secondary costs people can incur when their car is stolen, like renting a car, utilizing ride-share services, or relying on public transportation.

"Folks don't realize there's generally many other associated costs that can include temporary transportation, cleaning of a vehicle, detailing once it has been recovered," said Cale Gould with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. "Vehicles that are recovered generally are not very well taken care of interior-wise."

The $5 million advocated through the new law adds to existing auto theft prevention funding for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Colorado residents who have had their cars stolen can apply to receive the money for towing costs or storage of their car while it was missing.

"We'd love to help offset those initial first-time costs, you know, vehicle repair, vehicle replacement, but unfortunately, the money is very limited," said Gould.

Gould said there is no limit to the amount of money a victim can get. The compensation is based on a victim's needs and how many secondary costs they incurred as a result of the theft.

CATPA encourages Colorado residents who have been victims of auto theft to visit lockdownyourcar.org to find resources and steps to connect with a victim advocate.