Colorado Springs at five-year high in gun theft, what police and lawmakers are doing to slow it

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) says that hundreds of firearms are reported stolen each year in the city, with 2023 marking a five-year high.

The department says that their hands are tied with enforcement, while lawmakers say they're struggling to pass impactful legislation to address the trend.

According to police, "most of the time", crimes are carried out using a stolen firearm. Take for instance when a Pueblo man in June of 2023, narrowly missed shooting at a Pueblo Police officer from his car, leading to a shootout that killed the suspect. Pueblo Police confirmed the gun he was wielding, had been stolen.

Or, take a more recent example, where in Colorado Springs, four different gun stores were victims of smash-and-grab burglaries in just a nine day span from late July into early August.

Ted Collins, who is the owner of Spartan Defense Armory and Training in the Springs, sounded off about the burglary trend and said he lost several firearms of different varieties that morning.

"We don't want these guns on the streets, we don't want these guns in the wrong hands." explained a frustrated Collins. The suspects, who also drove into the shop with a stolen vehicle, fled the scene and have not been caught as of the publishing of this article.

It highlights the broader theme of stolen guns now being on the streets.

In 2023, CSPD reported over 820 stolen firearm cases, which comes out to a little more than 2 thefts per day, and police say that it's not just happening on one side of town either.

This graph shows there are 12 or more guns stolen per month in all four patrolling quadrants of the city, which are labeled as the Gold Hill Division, the Falcon Division, the Sand Creek Division, and the Stetson Hills Division.

CSPD explains that the "112" that is highlighted in orange, speaks to an outlier within the data, where a singular investigation led to 112 guns being discovered as stolen, in one big criminal bust. The map below shows where those Divisions are located, and what areas they cover.

Colorado Springs Police Chief, Adrian Vasquez sat down with KRDO13 Investigates to explain more data from the department, as well as what issues law enforcement faces in Colorado, to enforce, jail, and prevent these gun thefts from happening.

Vasquez says that 55% of the 820 guns that were stolen in 2023, were taken from a home, apartment, garage, or yard. He adds that 39%, were snatched right out of someone's vehicle.

The following chart breaks down the type of crime in which a firearm was stolen, and the location from where guns were stolen. Each vertical column from left to right, represents the year 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, with the final column farthest to the right representing the total amount of the numbers from each year.

What Vasquez says happens, is that often times during their investigation into vehicle thefts, detectives find that the owners of the vehicle are making it easy for the thieves.

"The car is parked in an apartment complex parking lot, or in front of their home, but the vehicle was never locked. Not only was a vehicle not locked, but the gun inside the vehicle was unsecured," explained Vasquez.

The Chief says that if police catch someone in the act of stealing a firearm from a vehicle, or catch someone with a gun determined to be stolen from a vehicle they can trace back to, it isn't something they can arrest people for.

"They write them a ticket summons to a promise to appear in court at a later date and lets them go," said Vasquez.

That's because, as Colorado law currently stands, unless the theft of property is worth more than $2,000, it's a misdemeanor crime.

The Chief describes it like this:

"For an average citizen to purchase my handgun, [it] would be about $850, not even close to a felony, so if my handgun gets stolen out of a car, it's going to be a misdemeanor," said Vasquez.

It's why he says his department, and others around the state, need better support from lawmakers in Denver.

"The reform practices around our ability to enforce are really hindering our ability," added Vasquez.

In echoing the Chief's qualms, gun store owners like Ted Collins with Spartan Defense say that change must happen.

"They voted down a bill that was bipartisan, that would have increased the penalty for firearm theft," stated Collins.

That proposed bill, HB24-1162 "Penalty for Theft of Firearms" from the 2023 legislative session, vied to increase the charge for stealing a firearm from a vehicle to a felony from the aforementioned misdemeanor.

Democratic Representative Mark Snyder from El Paso and Teller County, was a prime sponsor of the bill alongside Republican Rep. Ryan Armagost from Larimer and Weld counties.

However, 6 of the 11 members on the House Judiciary Committee, which includes Snyder and Armagost, voted against the bill to move forward.

We reached out to each member of the Committee to ask why they voted No, and only Democratic House Representative Leslie Herod responded via email.

She says she voted it down because there is already a federal law that makes it illegal to possess a stolen firearm. That law carries a punishment of up to 10 years in federal prison.

Despite Snyder's bill falling flat, another bill aimed at firearm security was inked by Governor Jared Polis and will take effect on January 1, 2025.

HB24-1348 tabbed the "Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle" law, now imposes a fine on gun owners for not securing firearms properly in their cars. This legislation leaves Snyder scratching his head.

"It just seems upside down to have a greater penalty for somebody who's basically a law-abiding citizen, who didn't store their firearm properly in a car, than you have for somebody who actually steals a car or steals a firearm," wondered Snyder.

Chief Vasquez says it doesn't quite move the needle on their enforcement either, as it's only a civil penalty. It's why he says, he needs the help of the community to help curb this trend.

"Lock your car, because most people who are breaking into cars, they're just checking door handles," said Vasquez.

Beyond that, he suggests a lock box or safe in your home, and locked storage compartments within your car, as simple and effective ways to deter thieves.

"I think it's only the responsible thing to do is when you have a weapon, especially a loaded weapon, you need to keep that in a secure place," echoed Rep. Snyder.