Data Stories

In 2023, Colorado law enforcement agencies and district attorney offices, particularly in the Denver metro are, undertook significant efforts to curb the concerning rise in motor vehicle theft. District Attorney Brian Mason and his colleagues submitted legislation to the Colorado State Legislature to make all motor vehicle thefts a felony and to enhance the penalties for this crime. The Legislature passed the bill and the new law took effect in July of 2023. State and local law enforcement combined forces to strategically combat this crime on the front end, while District Attorneys, including DA Brian Mason and his staff, fought for stiffer penalties in court.    

These efforts are now showing results. The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority announced at the beginning of 2024 that motor vehicle theft is rapidly declining across the state. CATPA noted a 10,000 theft decrease from 2022 to 2023, and the stolen vehicle was located in nearly all of those 2023 cases. CATPA said the number of thefts reached a three-year low following a period where Colorado became the nationwide leader in motor vehicle thefts during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Denver International Airport, which became a hot spot for thieves, also saw a drastic decrease in the number of motor vehicle thefts. Enhanced security measures in the parking lots as well as significant law enforcement focus, such as the grand jury indictment that came from our office in late 2023, are seen as primary reasons for a drop in stolen cars at the airport.   

Our data from the dashboard in the 17th Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield, CO) tracks with the information that CATPA announced in early 2024. As you will see in the chart below, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our office filed roughly 400 to 475 motor vehicle theft cases per year. That number spiked in 2020 and continued to rise drastically in 2021 and 2022. However, a dramatic decrease in the number of filed cases in 2023 could allow one to assume the enforcement efforts and the change in Colorado law may be moving us back to those pre-pandemic levels.  

 As we look closer at our individual municipalities, you’ll see significant decreases in the number of motor vehicle theft cases filed in Adams County, Broomfield, Commerce City, and Northglenn.  

Much of the discussion surrounding motor vehicle theft has been on repeat offenders or those who commit more than one crime. The public felt that a lack of deterrence created an environment for repeat offenders to thrive. The data in our dashboard shows that the enhanced enforcement and change in state law may be impacting those who are considered repeat offenders as it relates to motor vehicle theft. The chart below shows from 2022 to 2023 the 17th Judicial District saw a 24% reduction of cases with a prior felony and misdemeanor conviction. We also saw a 23% reduction of cases from 2022 to 2023 for those with only a prior misdemeanor conviction.  

What we are seeing in the data is that the time and effort spent to curb this problem is working. Colorado became a talking point across the country for its troublesome motor vehicle theft issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. District Attorneys and law enforcement agencies have gone to great lengths to get this problem under control, and while there is a long way to go, the data shows Colorado, and Adams/Broomfield Counties, are on the right track in the fight against motor vehicle theft.

The United States experienced an alarming rise in domestic violence incidents following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily routines were altered, stressors added, and the abnormal became normal. That rise was felt here in Colorado and in the 17th Judicial District (Adams and Broomfield Counties).  

Prosecuting domestic violence cases is a top priority for the District Attorney’s Office. Our data shows there were 2,099 domestic violence cases in our district in 2019. That number rose to 2,176 in 2020 and an even higher 2,227 cases in 2021.  After a slight decline in 2022, the first part of 2023 shows our highest first quarter total of domestic violence cases of the last five years.

In response to the rise in domestic violence cases and to address the lethality risk that so many of these incidents create for victims, the DA’s Office, in partnership with multiple law enforcement agencies and community-based service providers, launched a Domestic Violence High Risk Team (DVHRT). This multidisciplinary team, which began its work in early 2022, provides an enhanced and collaborative response to domestic violence situations.  Our goal is to provide immediate support and services to victims and children in high risk domestic violence situations.

The Domestic Violence High Risk Team began a pilot program in early 2022 with the Thornton Police Department that has now expanded to other municipalities to include the Broomfield and Brighton Police Departments. The DVHRT identifies the highest-risk cases and then triages them, quickly identifying lethality factors and providing immediate services to victims.

In February of 2022, the still new DVHRT only touched one percent of the overall DV cases that came into the DA’s Office.   One year later, in February of 2023, that number rose to 18 percent.  The DVHRT is making a noticeable impact on these highest-risk cases.  A $2 million federal grant, made possible by Colorado’s United States Representatives Ed Perlmutter, Jason Crow and Joe Neguse, provided critical funding for the DVHRT to increase its reach. 

The Domestic Violence High Risk Team is a stepping stone towards our long-term goal of creating a Family Justice Center for all of Adams and Broomfield counties. This community-based, multi-disciplinary, co-located service facility would allow those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking to access critical services in one centralized location. 

Domestic violence is a scourge on society that requires all of us to work together.  That’s precisely what we are doing with these partnerships and the exceptional work of the DVHRT.