With a rise in motor vehicle theft across the Denver metro area, the City of Westminster is taking action to better protect residents and hold criminals accountable. In June 2023, City Council passed four new ordinances aimed at curbing vehicle and parts theft, street racing, and joyriding. 

“These are new tools the Westminster Police Department has at its disposal to ensure residents have greater protection against crimes and can collect restitution more quickly,” said Police Chief Norm Haubert. “These ordinances send a message to criminals; Westminster is not the place you want to steal a car or street race.” 

Councillor’s Bill 28 addressed three gaps that existed in the City’s municipal code related to the unauthorized use of an automobile, motor vehicle trespass, and removal of motor vehicle parts. Before the ordinance, the City’s municipal code did not cover what is considered “joyriding”. The new ordinance aligns municipal code with the charges that currently exist in state law, defining the misdemeanor offense of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle for fewer than 24 hours, provided no other crimes are committed and no damage is done to the vehicle. Now, the City can charge a joyriding offense in municipal court instead of county court, which will allow cases to be resolved faster, and it saves residents from making a trip to the county. 

The ordinance also adds the crime of Motor Vehicle Trespass, addressing entry into or upon a motor vehicle with intent to commit a crime. This provision aligns with a state statute that was previously in effect. 

The final piece related to this ordinance allows the City to better address auto parts theft by creating a unique code section that didn’t exist and allows for charging in municipal court. The City can now exceed the previous $1,000 value limit on municipal theft to charge people locally for stealing auto parts with a value limit of $5,000 to cover items like catalytic converters and EV batteries. 

Councillor’s Bill 29 formalized the process to allow residents to more quickly collect restitution from their losses. The restitution ordinance requires that every order of conviction, deferred judgment or deferred prosecution include a consideration of restitution for the victims of crimes. 

When it comes to street racing, City staff took a creative approach to combat the issue in two different ordinances passed by City Council. Councillor’s Bill 30 allows police the flexibility to impound vehicles involved in street racing or a nuisance act while Councillor’s Bill 31 officially defines street racing as a nuisance act. A great benefit of this pair of ordinances is that police are now able to impound a car identified in street racing without having to catch the driver in the act, eliminating the need for a high-speed pursuit and further minimizing the risk to residents. 

“The community has told us they are concerned about car theft and street racing, and the City delivered on our promise to do something about it,” said City Manager Mark Freitag. “Our first priority will always be the safety and well-being of our residents.” 

You can read more about each passed ordinance here.