Author: aodle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Krista Silano, 303-832-2700 ext. 211
Carole Walker, Coloradans Against Auto Theft Chair, 303-790-0216
Twitter: @StopAutoTheftCO
Facebook: @ColoradansAgainstAutoTheft

Law Enforcement & Community Partners Join Forces for Colorado Puffer Week
Statewide “Puffer Week” Campaign Reminds Coloradans that Cars Left Running Unattended are an Easy Steal

Denver, Colo. (Jan. 22, 2017) — Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT), along with Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI), today launched their annual statewide educational and enforcement campaign, known as “Puffer Week.” The campaign runs today through Sunday, January 28 and informs the public about the illegality, risks and consequences of “puffer cars” – or cars left running unattended. Puffer cars contribute to Colorado’s growing auto theft problem, and they are often involved in subsequent crimes, such as armed robbery, home invasion and drug-related offenses.
“Puffer Week aims to remind drivers that the consequences of puffing their car can go beyond getting in trouble with the law or having their car stolen,” says Carole Walker, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association and CAAT chair. “Ninety-seven percent of car thieves charged with auto theft are also charged with additional crimes. The campaign drives home the point that the simple act of leaving your car running unattended can result in a domino effect that contributes to the rise in Colorado’s crime rate and puts the community at risk.”
The Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center (ATICC) reports that 18,047 vehicles were stolen in Colorado in 2016, up more than 20 percent from 2015. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 40 to 50 percent of vehicle theft is due to driver error, which includes leaving vehicle doors unlocked and leaving keys in the ignition or on the seats. While auto thefts can happen anywhere and at any time, they spike in the winter when people are more likely to puff their car to warm it up, and thieves look for the tell-tale puff of the exhaust on a cold day.
Puffing your car – or leaving it running unattended – is illegal in Colorado*. During Puffer Week, law enforcement increases warnings and citations to those caught puffing their cars, with the first offense costing guilty parties a $60 fine. This week, law enforcement and CAAT partners will put a focus on educating communities throughout Colorado on how to prevent auto theft by distributing informational flyers and Lockdownyourcar.org branded ice scrapers, as well as leveraging social media to share important messages and tips. More, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will display auto theft and puffer car awareness messages on Variable Message Signs (VMS) placed in urban areas throughout the state.
“Last year during Puffer Week, law enforcement gave out over 350 warnings and citations to Colorado drivers caught leaving their cars running unattended, but we know that many offenders got away with it,” says Bill Johnson, President of the Colorado Auto Theft Investigators. “Our hope is that this year’s public awareness campaign will encourage car owners to do their part in taking the necessary steps to prevent their own cars from being stolen and used to commit other crimes.”
Puffer Week Highlights
    
To demonstrate why puffer cars are attractive to car thieves, CAAT created “Thiever,” a fake mobile app for car thieves to scope out their next steal. Modeled after popular dating apps, Thiever is comprised of profiles of the top stolen cars in Colorado, encouraging thieves to “swipe right,” or steal the car. The profiles range from static images to animations that show a gloved thief swiping through the posts. They include messages that imitate dating profiles and describe a puffer car, such as “if it’s cold, I’m puffing. So you can come-a-knockin’,” and “your mother will love me. Especially if she’s a car thief.” Each profile will be shared on CAAT’s Facebook and Twitter pages this week with an accompanying fact about auto theft.
Media ride-alongs available upon request.
For Puffer Week ride-along opportunities, please contact your local law enforcement or Colorado State Patrol PIOs, or Krista Silano on behalf of Coloradans Against Auto Theft at 303-832-2700 ext. 211 or krista@ameliecompany.com.
Winter Public Awareness Campaign
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CAAT’s winter public awareness campaign, which runs through March, features high-profile TV spots; billboards; bus, print, digital radio and digital video advertisements and social media posts that portray how car theft can lead to additional crimes. The ads ask viewers, “If you knew where auto theft ended, would you start locking your car?” View the “Lockdown Your Car” TV spot here.
How Can You Avoid Auto Theft?

• Never leave your car running unattended.
• Lock your doors every single time.
• Always park in well-lit areas.
• Don’t keep a spare set of keys in the car.
• Put gifts and all valuables in the trunk or keep hidden from view.
• Buy comprehensive insurance that covers stolen vehicles.
• Report suspicious activity to a non-emergency police line.
• Use our Hot Spot map to see if there have been auto thefts where you live or work.
• Follow the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) “Layered Approach” to Protection.
• Find out what the top stolen vehicles in your region are here.

Both CATI and CAAT are funded by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA), a statutory grant program that supports law enforcement, prevention and training programs through the collection of $1.00 for every insured vehicle.
For more information about auto theft in Colorado, visit www.lockdownyourcar.org and the “Lockdown Your Car” Facebook and Twitter pages.
*A Colorado law that went into effect in August 2016 exempts vehicles with a remote-start from being ticketed if found running unattended. However, drivers must keep the keyless start fob far enough away from the car that the vehicle can’t be moved.
CAAT Coalition Partners
Colorado auto theft task forces, made up of regional law enforcement agencies, Colorado State Patrol and other motor vehicle safety and insurance partners, are a part of the CAAT coalition to decrease auto theft during this peak auto theft season.

• CATPA Metropolitan Auto Theft Team (CMATT)
• Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE)
• Colorado Attorney General’s Auto Theft Prosecution Initiative
• Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI)
• Colorado Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center (ATICC)

About Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT):
CAAT is a statewide auto theft prevention initiative to raise awareness about the problem and educate the public on what they can do to reduce their chances of falling victim to auto theft. CAAT is a coalition of law enforcement agencies, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI), insurance partners, LoJack and AAA Colorado. CAAT and the state auto theft task force efforts are funded in part by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA).
About Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI):
CATI is a non-profit association of public, law enforcement and insurance industry investigators concerned with the prevention and investigation of motor vehicle thefts and kindred crimes; to promote the exchange of investigative information; and to create a forum for better communication among investigators in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Region, and the Nation.
About Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA):
CATPA is a state authority that was established by Colorado statute in 2003 to help reduce Colorado’s serious auto theft problem through the award of grant funds. The Colorado law helps ensure that auto theft prevention efforts are targeted. These efforts have resulted in an increase in stolen vehicle recoveries and criminal prosecutions of major organized criminal groups, as well as related crimes.

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2016 Puffer Week Combines Education and Enforcement to Combat Auto Theft
New Auto Theft Poll: Majority of Coloradans agree leaving cars running unattended is a top way cars get stolen, but 34% admit to leaving their car puffing even though it’s dangerous and illegal.

Denver, Colo. (Jan. 24, 2016) — Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT), in partnership with Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI), unite for 2016’s “Puffer Week,” held Jan. 24-30. The statewide educational and enforcement week aims to inform the public about the risks, dangers and most recently, heightened crime associated with auto theft, specifically “puffer cars” – vehicles left running unattended with the telltale puff of the exhaust. Auto theft is often the first step in committing other, more serious crimes. Recent headlines tell a harrowing tale for Colorado:

•       “Gunshots fired after puffer car confrontation” (Denver Post)
•      “Denver ‘puffer’ has both cars stolen in a single day after leaving them unattended” (7 News)
•       “Car theft suspect recaptured after fighting his way out of Colorado Springs police vehicle” (Colorado Springs Gazette)

“Leaving your car running unattended is not only dangerous, it’s illegal,” says Colonel Scott Hernandez, Chief of the Colorado State Patrol. “That’s why law enforcement and our community safety partners are joining forces this week to send an important message to Colorado drivers. Once a puffer car is stolen, the thief rarely stops there. We’ve seen both a rise in auto theft and the serious, violent crimes associated with it.”

Results from a new statewide CAAT poll being released in conjunction with Colorado’s Puffer Week show a growing percentage of Coloradans are getting the message and say they “NEVER” leave their cars puffing—66% compared to 60% in 2011 and 65% in 2014. However, 34% of Colorado drivers admit they have left their car running unattended. As to whether Coloradans are aware that it is illegal (C.R.S. 42-4-1206), 28% said they didn’t know and another 8% responded that it is not illegal to leave your car puffing. (Source: Talmey-Drake Research & Strategy, Inc.) Seventy percent of respondents consider auto theft a problem or a major problem. Full survey results here.

“Most drivers still have an ‘It will never happen to me mentality’, despite survey results that show 48% of Coloradans know someone who has had their car stolen,” says Carole Walker, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association and CAAT chair. “It’s this disconnect, and the escalation in the severity of auto theft-related crimes that drive our education efforts.”

During Puffer Week law enforcement increases warnings and citations to those caught leaving their cars running unattended. Educational efforts include community distribution of CAAT informational flyers and LockdownYourCar.org ice scrapers, along with partners leveraging social media using #puffercars and driving citizens to the Lockdown website, where they can access auto theft prevention materials and tips (see list of planned activities below). www.LockDownYourCar.org features a hot spot map with a geo-locator tool, allowing users to search auto theft in their area – incentivizing the public to be auto theft aware.

“To successfully combat auto theft, we need the public to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement,” says Detective Greg Malsam, of the Longmont Police Department and President of CATI. “The long-standing partnership between Colorado Auto Theft Investigators and CAAT drives this collaboration, combining strategic law enforcement efforts with community-driven awareness by mobilizing the public to do their part in auto theft prevention.”

Both CATI and CAAT are funded by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) a statutory grant program that supports law enforcement, prevention and training programs through the collection of $1.00 for every insured vehicle.

Snapshot of “Puffer Week” Activities:
CATPA Metropolitan Auto Theft Team (CMATT)
Educational materials will be available to citizens. CMATT will also be conducting puffer enforcement, by means of warnings and citing violations, throughout the area.
Englewood Police Department
The Englewood Police Department will be conducting an educational activity every day of Puffer Week at various locations, including coffee shops, grocery stores and other public sites. The Englewood Police Department will also be conducting puffer enforcement throughout the area.
Aurora Police Department
The Aurora Police Department will be conducting an educational and enforcement operation on Tuesday, January 26. Aurora Police Department will also be running a social media campaign, including a “Tweet along” to encourage engagement during the week.
Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE)
Educational materials will be available to citizens. BATTLE patrol officers will be on the lookout for puffer cars and will speak to individuals about the consequences of leaving their car running unattended.
Pueblo Police Department
Educational materials will be available to citizens. Volunteers will be on the lookout for puffer cars and will speak to individuals about the consequences of leaving their car running unattended.
Jefferson County Police Department
Educational materials will be available to citizens. Jefferson County Police Department will also be running a social campaign to remind the public to never leave their cars running unattended.
Lakewood Police Department
Educational materials will be available to citizens. Volunteers will be on the lookout for puffer cars and will speak to individuals about the consequences of leaving their car running unattended.
What can the public do?

• Never leave your car running unattended.
• Always lock your car.
• Never leave any keys in the car, even a spare set.
• Never leave valuables in plain sight.
• Always park in well-lit, high-traffic areas.
• Get windows, doors and fenders etched with the VIN.
• Consider installing a tracking and recovery device.
• Check out www.lockdownyourcar.org for more prevention tips, local statistics and a Hot Spot map with geo-locator tool allowing users to search auto theft in their area.

Media ride-alongs available upon request.
For ride-along opportunities, please contact your local law enforcement or Colorado State Patrol PIOs or Holly Franklin on behalf of Coloradans Against Auto Theft at 303-832-2700 ext. 221.
CAAT’s winter public awareness campaign features high-profile TV spots, digital radio, pre-roll, social media and earned media to drive home that message that it is never a good time to have your car stolen – whether it’s before the big dog show or your first prom.
CAAT Coalition Partners
Colorado auto theft task forces, made up of regional law enforcement agencies, Colorado State Patrol and other motor vehicle safety and insurance partners, are a part of the CAAT coalition to decrease auto theft during this peak auto theft season.

• CATPA Metropolitan Auto Theft Team (CMATT)
• Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE)
• Colorado Attorney General’s Auto Theft Prosecution Initiative
• Colorado Auto Theft Investigators (CATI)
• Colorado Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center (ATICC)

About Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT):
Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT) is a statewide auto theft prevention initiative to raise awareness about the problem and educate the public on what they can do to reduce their chances of falling victim to auto theft. CAAT is a coalition of law enforcement agencies, the Colorado State Patrol, insurance partners, LoJack and AAA Colorado. CAAT and the state auto theft task force efforts are funded in part by the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA).

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