On April 22, 2003 Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed HB031251 thus creating an Auto Theft Prevention Authority for Colorado. This legislation was introduced by Representative Betty Boyd on behalf of the Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI). CATI is a non-profit organization of law enforcement personnel, insurance investigators and others who are dedicated to the prevention and investigation of motor vehicle thefts in Colorado.
An Auto Theft Prevention Authority, ATPA, is a specially created funding mechanism that is used to collect and disperse funds through a grant process for the purpose of reducing vehicle theft and fraud. Twelve other states have ATPA programs and all have been very successful at reducing auto thefts through prevention and enforcement efforts.
The Colorado ATPA will be funded by voluntary contributions from insurance companies doing business in Colorado. No public funds will be used to support the ATPA. The beneficiaries of the Colorado ATPA will be everyone who has been victimized or who pays high insurance due to the frequency of auto theft in Colorado. The ATPA bill signed by Governor Owens has the support of the insurance industry in Colorado.
Motor vehicle theft has grown 16%, 24%, and approximately 10% in each of the last three years in Colorado making it the fastest growing crime in the state. State and local law enforcement agencies in Colorado have been unable to mitigate or reduce this growing crime trend.
Auto thieves’ use stolen vehicles for the highly profitable illegal parts market, to sell stolen vehicles to unsuspecting buyers, for numerous fraud schemes, and for exportation of components and vehicles to other states and countries. Auto theft is also an instrumentality for crimes of violence, drug offenses, gang activity and theft.
The Colorado ATPA is designed to combat motor vehicle theft and thus help reduce the high cost of automobile insurance.
A 9-member board of directors will administer the Colorado ATPA:
The ATPA board of directors will receive and review applications for funding and will award grants for the following specific purposes:
1. Programs to provide for multi-agency vehicle theft/fraud investigative units.
2. Programs for crime prevention and public awareness to reduce auto theft.
3. Programs to provide for specialized training for auto theft prevention and enforcement.
4. Programs to provide for dedicated prosecutors for complex auto theft prosecutions.
5. Programs to prevent future criminal behavior by first time offenders.
Other states that have implemented ATPA’s and who have maintained them to reduce motor vehicle theft are: Michigan, Illinois, Texas, California, Arizona, Maryland, Florida, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York and Virginia.
In every case where an ATPA has been created these states have experienced significant and sustained reductions in motor vehicle theft, reductions in auto theft related insurance claims and an increase in the number of arrests and prosecutions for vehicle crimes. Furthermore, in every state with an ATPA the authority has been retained following “sunset” review hearings because of enthusiastic support for the ATPA’s performance from insurance companies, law enforcement and state legislatures due to their cost effectiveness and accomplishment of mission.
For more information on the auto theft problem in Colorado and what you can do about it, go to the CATI website at www.coloradoautotheft.org.