Democratic Mayor’s Car Vanishes in Midst of State’s Rising Auto Thefts

(DailyVantage.com) – The mayor of Denver, Colorado, Mike Johnston, recently had his car stolen during a rise in the city’s auto theft rate. Colorado is experiencing record growth in auto thefts, with rates skyrocketing over the past few years. Johnston’s office confirmed someone stole the mayor’s car but announced the Denver Police Department recovered the vehicle after investigating the crime.

The mayor’s office also confirmed the theft occurred in Denver but isn’t disclosing any additional information about the crime. According to Johnston’s office, the mayor isn’t discussing the details of the theft due to privacy concerns for Johnston’s family. Despite the mayor’s office’s silence regarding auto theft, statistics indicate a growing rate of vehicle-related crimes throughout the state of Colorado.

According to a report from Fox News, auto thefts in Colorado increased more than any other state during the 2010s. Crime statistics indicate a 144 percent increase in car thefts within Colorado, most of which occur in Denver. Another report from earlier this year revealed that the most common type of crime within Denver is vehicle-related offenses, like auto theft. The theft of Johnston’s car isn’t the first time the mayor has had his vehicle stolen, either.

Johnston took to social media in 2017 after having his car stolen from an Office Depot parking lot, sharing the details about the crime on X, formerly known as Twitter. Days later, Johnston shared an update about the crime, confirming that the Denver police had recovered his vehicle. The ongoing increase in crime rates within Denver is causing issues for Johnston’s administration, as Johnston initially campaigned on making Denver a safer city with a reduced crime rate.

During his campaign, Johnston proposed elevating the offense of auto theft to a felony rather than a misdemeanor to discourage criminals from stealing citizens’ vehicles. After campaigning on the promise to reduce Denver’s crime rate, Johnston won his mayoral bid and took office in July. Johnston hasn’t elevated vehicle theft to a felony since taking office, and Denver’s crime rate is still high.

According to Denver’s authorities, the Auto Theft Prevention Authority is working to reduce the prevalence of vehicle thefts within the city. Denver officials commented on the ongoing effort to reduce auto thefts and claimed that rates are expected to decrease over the next few years.

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