Updated on: June 27, 2024 / 12:25 PM MDT / CBS Colorado
As car thefts in Colorado continue to be an issue, the Colorado State Patrol is expanding its program which was created to curb those thefts. Troopers tell CBS Colorado that car thefts are down 20% but they want to see it non-existent so they are providing a free steering wheel lock for anyone who needs one. car steering wheel disc lock
Your First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod met with Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority Public Outreach Coordinator Cale Gould to discuss the importance of this program. Gould tells CBS Colorado a steering wheel lock is a great device to help increase physical vehicle security. Drivers can get a wheel lock by providing the VIN of the vehicle for which they want the added protection. There is a limit of one wheel lock per person.
Gould tells CBS Colorado reducing auto theft in Colorado has a ripple effect in communities. When auto theft is reduced, other crime types and incidents also show reductions.
A quality theft prevention routine considers many possible factors to help deter and prevent vehicle theft. This should always include locking your car every time; no matter where or how long you will be away from it. Locked vehicles are the most secure when all keys are removed from them. Gould says to always take extra, spare, or valet keys out of a vehicle.
Then, once fully locked and secured, make sure your car is clean. Gould says thieves hate clean cars. What may seem like trash or unimportant items, like change, gym bags, or shopping bags from stores, may not catch your interest, but small things left visible in a vehicle can get a thief to target your vehicle over a vehicle without anything left in it. Take all items out of your vehicle and place any necessary items out of sight in the glove box or trunk.
"We always say clean out your car and don't leave things in there, Gould said. "People don't realize the things they leave. If you were looking at two identical cars and a thief was going to steal one of them and one of them is full of stuff, it doesn't make people want to break into the clean car. Thieves hate clean cars."
Primary distribution happens out of the Colorado State Patrol Records Department located at 700 Kipling Street in Lakewood. Locks can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding holidays. There is a limit of one lock per person.
Check the nearest location for distribution information and hours.
Brian Sherrod is a multimedia journalist and the First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter at CBS News Colorado. Read his latest reports or check out his bio and send him an email.
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