The Denver Police Department posted a graphic on social media Wednesday announcing its 10 "most stolen vehicles" during a recent 3-month period.
Topping the list was the Honda Civic - 76 of them were stolen within Denver limits.
The data, according to the graphic, were compiled from car thefts between Jan. 1 and March 23.
And while you might not be able to get a new car that's less enticing to thieves, DPD stressed that drivers should protect their ride.
"Lock doors, roll up windows, remove spare keys, garage door openers & valuables, park strategically and don't leave it running unattended..."
Check out the rest of the list below:
- Honda Civic - 76 stolen
- Ford F-250 - 68 stolen
- Honda Accord - 54 stolen
- Ford F-350 - 32 Stolen
- Chevy Silverado - 28 stolen
- Toyota Camry - 20 stolen
- Subaru Impreza - 20 stolen
- Jeep Cherokee - 18 stolen
- Chevy Tahoe - 18 stolen
- Dodge Ram 1500 - 18 stolen
“A lot of people think it’s the more expensive vehicles or the newer models. It’s actually those older model vehicles,” said Carole Walker, Chair of Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT). “They don’t have the newer technology that makes them more difficult for a thief to break into them. So those older model vehicles are always consistently at the top of the list for most popular stolen vehicles.”
The CAPTA Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) investigates and tracks stolen vehicles across the entire Denver Metro. The most recent list released from that group’s data includes numbers from January 1 – March 1 of 2018:
1. Honda Civic – 145 stolen
2. Honda Accord – 121 stolen
3. Ford F-250 – 76 stolen
4. Dodge Ram – 51 stolen
5. Chevrolet Silverado – 50 stolen
6. Ford F-350 – 47 stolen
7. Subaru Impreza – 45 stolen
8. Toyota Camry – 39 stolen
9. Ford F-150 – 38 stolen
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee – 35 stolen
“Colorado has one of the highest auto theft rates,” said Kassie Borth, a crime analyst who works for the Aurora Police Department and C-MATT. “Although, I will say, we have one of the highest recovery rates in the country. Approximately 90 percent of stolen vehicles get recovered in the state of Colorado.”
Borth says vehicles are more likely to be stolen from unsecured areas where there are a lot of cars, like a parking lot. She said people who own cars on the commonly-stolen list should always lock the vehicle, keep valuable out of sight or remove them from the car completely, and don’t leave it running with keys in the car. Some police departments also offer drivers an anti-lock device – a steering wheel “club” meant to deter criminals.
Borth said thieves who steal cars are often involved in other crimes, too.
“Whether that’s property (crimes), identify theft or violent crimes,” she listed. “Something to keep in mind if you keep your car unlocked, that vehicle can be used in more than just a stolen car.”
