Pueblo Police want to help you prevent your car from being stolen

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) – On Monday, the Pueblo City Council approved a grant to fund the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority at the Pueblo Police Department. The grant is for $130,000.

This time last year, about 1,100 cars were stolen across the city. That's not the case this year. Thanks to this program, about 900 cars were stolen across the city.

Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller told 11 News that while the number is still high, they are moving in the right direction and are not giving up. He said, “There is still a lot of work to be done, but so far we have seen a pretty dramatic decrease in thefts in our community.”

The Colorado Prevention Authority allows law enforcement to pay overtime to a team of officers called the BATTLE Team to dedicate themselves to recovering stolen vehicles and apprehending the criminals who steal those cars.

“With the money we have at our disposal, we can take targeted measures to catch the occupants of these cars, make arrests and at the same time secure the cars,” says Noeller.

“The big benefit to our community is that we can put more effort into vehicle recovery through the use of overtime funds, overtime opportunities for our officers and more focused efforts in that regard.”

While police work hard to prevent and combat car thefts, Noeller tells 11 News that everyone can do their part: “There are many ways to prevent car theft.

“You can lock your car, but don't leave your keys in the car. You can activate the security systems that either come with the vehicle if it does, or that you have purchased as an add-on. Don't just buy them and activate those systems if you are not using them.

“Do not leave your vehicle running with the engine running and the key in the ignition when you are not in the car.

“Hitting the steering wheel with a club can also be a way to make car theft more difficult.”

Police Chief Noeller also wants to remind people that car theft is now a crime, regardless of the value of the car.

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