Colorado Vehicle Theft Trends: 2023 Analysis & 2024 Projections

2024 is already off to the races as the first three months have flown by in the blink of an eye as Coloradans look forward to spring. Warmer weather means more people out on the roads in Colorado, which can increase the chances of vehicle theft.

As we move further into the current year, data from 2023 continues to roll in about stolen cars in the Centennial state. How do things look as we head into outdoor season in 2024?

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Car Theft in Colorado 2022-2023

A new report from the Colorado Highway Patrol shared by News 11 shows that 41,656 cars were stolen in Colorado in 2022. In 2023, these numbers are down by 21% with 32,976 stolen in 2023.

The number of vehicle thefts decreased in Mesa County as well. The Sheriff's Office reported 105 stolen cars in 2023, down from 129 in 2022, and 190 in 2021.

Recovery Rates in Colorado

How is Colorado doing recovering so many stolen cars? From 2019 to 2023, Colorado boasted a vehicle recovery rate of nearly 90% statewide. On the Western Slope, the vehicle recovery rate from 2019 to 2023 was closer to 84%, with the best year for recovery in Western Colorado in 2019.

Vehicle Theft in Mesa County

In Mesa County, the Sherrif's Office numbers reflected statewide trends from 2019 to 2021 with the county numbers slowly rising then decreasing. Western Colorado saw an 8% increase in vehicles stolen during the second half of 2022.

So far in 2024, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office has reported 16 stolen vehicles. That's two more cars stolen compared to the first few months of 2023.