How many car thefts is Weiser cool with? – Greeley Tribune

Last week, during July’s National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, The Gazette’s Julia Cardi explored the possible answers to the undeniable spike in Colorado’s rate of car thefts.

We live in the car theft capital of the United States. Those in power during this public safety disaster are quick to blame countless factors, none of which relate to them.

In large part, the policies advanced by Colorado’s governor, attorney general, Legislature and a handful of progressive prosecutors have created an environment so permissive of crime and tolerable and welcoming to those who commit it, that in a mere 10 years, Colorado’s rate of motor The vehicle theft has gone from less than the national average, to leading every state in America.

In the first attorney general candidate forum of the 2022 election cycle, Phil Weiser, the incumbent of the office, told a group of Windcrest Senior Living Center residents that Colorado’s specific crime tsunami was caused by the global pandemic. He went on to reveal why he believed Jefferson County was seeing a downturn in car thefts.

“After someone commits a third or fourth car theft in, say, three months,” Weiser said, “they should be kept in (jail) with a really high bond, because you got a sense they are going to get out they’re going to commit more crimes. … In Jeffco, that’s what they do.”

He provided no explanation as to why that “sense” was not triggered after the first or second car thefts.

By the way, there is no downturn in car thefts in Jefferson County. It is the opposite. The most recent data from the Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) shows that year-to-date, Jeffco has seen a more than 26% increase in motor vehicle thefts through the same period last year … a larger increase than every other county in the metro area, including Denver. I agree with Weiser that the policy he touted encourages this disastrous result.

It is not the first time Weiser — who repeatedly and mistakenly claims to be “Colorado’s top law enforcer” — has gone all-in on the “keep them on the streets” approach to public safety. In 2021, Weiser supported the much maligned, and ultimately withdrawn, Senate Bill 62, which not only sought to prevent jailing car thieves upon arrest, but also sought to keep them out of jail until they skipped court three times.

How else does our AG tackle the highest car theft rate in America? Last weekend, Weiser tweeted the recommendation of “purchasing insurance that covers your car and your catalytic converter if stolen.” Problem solved.

Of course, the issue is bigger than a progressive AG with no criminal justice experience. It extends to a Legislature that continues to prioritize offenders over victims, and to a governor who enables them and refuses to publicly acknowledge — let alone address the surging crime we see and feel around us. Aurora has had enough, and they are doing something about it.

There has been a recent move toward permitting municipalities and counties greater independence and autonomy in governing themselves … sorta. Local governments are now trusted to be more restrictive of their residents’ fundamental Second Amendment rights, but not trusted to do the same for abortion rights.

Local governments can even thwart energy development efforts by creating burdensome rules unique to their localities and more arduous than state standards.

Enter Aurora. Apparently unwilling to let their citizenry suffer the predictable and preventable effects of Colorado’s offender-friendly laws and policies, Aurora has chosen to aggressively target car thieves followed by the promise of incarceration for those convicted.

As Aurora’s experiment in returning to the gauche concept of accountability under the law begins to pay dividends, and businesses and families vote with their feet to choose Aurora instead of other cities, expect more municipalities to follow suit.

The only question that remains is whether Gov. Jared Polis, the progressive-dominated Legislature and attorney general get the embarrassing hint and change course, or will they seek to prevent cities from standing up against crime?

— George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial District. He also is president of the Advance Colorado Academy, which identifies, trains and connects conservative leaders in Colorado. He hosts “The George Brauchler Show” on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 am to 10 am Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler.