ALL ABOUT
CATPA

What is CATPA?

The Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA)  is an Authority created by Colorado House Bill 2003-1251 in 2003, under Colorado Revised Statute 42-5-112. Our mission is to deter and reduce vehicle theft and insurance fraud through a statewide cooperative effort of generating funds to support law enforcement, prosecution and public awareness through a partnership between industry and state government. Pursuant to §42-5-112 C.R.S., the CATPA Office is limited to no more than eight percent (8%) of the monies in the fund, whereby these monies may be used for operational and administrative expenses of the auto theft prevention authority.

What do we do?

The CATPA staff performs daily activities to ensure the grant program processes, as approved and otherwise directed by the Board, are completed. These processes involve the development and education of grant guidelines, providing solicitation and instructions for applicants, and performing conformance tasks to grant awards, monitoring, oversight, reporting and administrative compliance and financial stewardship. The CATPA staff is the primary contact for centralized public outreach and awareness efforts in regards to auto theft and vehicle component theft. CATPA is heavily involved in regional, national, and international organizations that deal with motor vehicle theft and the combatting of it. These organizational ties allow us to be on the forefront of best practices within the motor vehicle theft and grant administration worlds.

Colorado House Bill 2003-1251 was signed into law by Governor Bill Owens on April 22, 2003, and the CATPA was placed under the supervision of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, but administered by the Colorado State Patrol . CATPA was developed to solicit monies and award grant funds to qualified applicants for the general purpose of improving and supporting motor vehicle theft prevention programs, and for the enforcement and prosecution of motor vehicle theft crimes. Specifically, section 42-5-112(1), C.R.S. created CATPA.

The nine-member CATPA Board was established with this composition; one representative from the Colorado Department of Public Safety, one from the Colorado Department of Revenue, three from the insurance industry in Colorado, two from law enforcement in Colorado, a representative of a statewide association of District Attorneys and a representative of the public or consumer group. In 2008, the CATPA Board was increased by two additional members who would be drawn from the insurance industry. More info about the CATPA Board can be found Here.

Pursuant to the statute, responsibilities of the board include:

• Soliciting and reviewing applications for grants
• Approve grants ensuring that the grants are awarded to law enforcement agencies or other qualified applicants in a variety of geographic areas of the state, subject to available moneys