DENVER — Car thefts are not the only crime increasing in the Denver metro area, so are trailer thefts.
Mike Greenwell with the Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force said there were 886 trailer thefts across the Denver metro area in 2020. That's a nearly 50% increase from 2019 when there were 590 trailer thefts.
"My team has spent a lot of time restoring VIN numbers on stolen trailers to find out who the victims are," said Greenwell.
He said recovering trailers is more difficult than stolen cars.
"Not a lot of trailers get stopped by the police like a motor vehicle might," Greenwell said. "A VIN number on a car is really easy to detect whether it's been altered or eliminated, but on a trailer, the VIN numbers are placed in several different places."
Sunday morning, Scott Hachey said he was in disbelief after noticing his trailer was gone.
"It really just blew me away," Hachey said. "It's such a big thing to be stolen."
Hachey is a guitarist for a Denver band called The Magic Beans. Hachey said they usually play 100 shows a year, but that hasn't been the case lately because of the pandemic.
For the last year, the band members have had to pivot. Some found second jobs, while Hachey said he decided to go back to school and make himself available in the job market later this year.
But most of their income was coming from merchandise sales and community support, according to Hachey. That merchandise was in the trailer that was stolen early Sunday morning.
"You never know who you're stealing from or taking from, and I'm a person who is probably in just as rough a spot or close to as you are," Hachey said. "Maybe he was expecting more gear and stuff like that...he's going to open up the trailer and see several of the same shirts and several of the same items."
Hachey said he remains hopeful police will find the band's trailer with their merchandise abandoned somewhere. "Within our music community it probably has some worth but I think out on the black market or at the pawn shop it won't have much worth," said Hachey.
If you have a tip regarding the stolen trailer, you can reach the Denver Police Department at 720-913-STOP.
The Denver Police Department shared these tips to protect your trailer:
- Paint or mark your trailer to set it apart from other trailers.
- Use multiple locks to set up a redundant anti-theft system on your trailer. There are several options you can pair:
- HITCH LOCKS make it nearly impossible for a thief to attach their vehicle to your trailer. The lock fits into your hitch and is secured with the turn of a key.
- TONGUE LOCKS allow you to include the trailer chains when securing the hitch.
- COUPLER LOCKS can be used while your trailer is still hitched to your vehicle, depending on the design and prevent the thief from being able to hook up to the coupler.
- TRAILER WHEEL LOCKS or CLAMPS attach on the outside of the tires. When trailer-wheel locks are in place, it's nearly impossible to move the trailer. This device should be used alongside tamper-resistant screws on the wheel.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations from 9Wants to Know