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Motor vehicle theft falls 40% in Aurora as police increase pursuits; council asks about impound auctions
Summary
Police reported a 40.1% year-to-date reduction in motor vehicle theft and described increased pursuits that led to arrests and recovered firearms. Council members asked for public notice about impounded vehicles and discussed a consultant study on the cost of building a city impound lot.
Aurora Police reported a 40.1% year-to-date reduction in motor vehicle theft at a council public safety briefing and described more aggressive use of pursuit and impound tools, while council members pressed staff to make impound-auction information more accessible to residents.
“We are down 40.1% year to date,” the Police Chief said, reporting 1,098 vehicles stolen this year compared with 1,834 at the same point last year. The chief said the department recorded 90 vehicle pursuits this year compared with five in the prior year period; arrests tied to pursuits were 67 and officers recovered firearms and arrested individuals with active warrants and criminal histories.
The department also said 667 vehicles had been impounded under the registration/ordinance rules since Jan. 1. Council members asked how many of those impounded vehicles were recovered by owners before auction and said they were concerned that brokers often buy most auctioned vehicles. Several council members asked staff to place clearer auction information on the city website and to produce a flyer that council members could distribute to residents.
City staff reported a consultant study that examined whether the city should build and operate its own impound lot. The consultant estimated substantial upfront capital costs (described in discussion as in a $15 million–$25 million range, depending on land and size) and a long payback period; staff said the estimated payback period in the analysis was about 21.7 years under the study's assumptions. Staff said operating and staffing costs, land purchase costs and contract terms with existing tow vendors all factor into the assessment.
Why it matters: reductions in vehicle theft and arrests affect public safety and community perception; impound and auction rules affect whether residents have access to vehicles and how the city recoups costs for towing and storage.
Council asked staff to resend auction schedules and to work with communications to create a public flyer and to post impound auction details on the city website. Staff said state statute regulates parts of the impound and auction process and that the city receives a share of auction proceeds under current contracts with tow vendors.
