DENVER — It's been a hot spot for car thefts, but Denver International Airport is actually seeing a decrease in stolen cars this year -- and the city wants to keep it that way. Monday night, city councilmembers approved nearly $3 million to help with investigations. The funding will help store video footage captured by new security cameras.
The airport will be adding 213 cameras to its parking lots, which will allow DIA to cover almost every square foot of its lots. The footage from these high-quality cameras can be stored for 30 days. RELATED: Denver International Airport plans to replace outdated security cameras DIA saw more travelers in 2023 than ever before in its history - more than 70 million passengers.
The airport has been a target-rich environment for car thieves. According to data from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority, 704 cars were stolen there in 2023, compared to 396 cars in 2022. "There are more incidents there, but that is one of the largest concentrations of cars in probably the whole state," Cale Gould with CATPA said.
While DIA saw an increase in car thefts in 2023, Gould said the numbers went down statewide - a more than 20% drop in reported stolen vehicles. RELATED: Colorado agencies tracking a decline in stolen vehicles "For a long time people were reporting about some of the dramatic thefts at DIA, and thieves heard that," Gould said. Through a collaborative effort with agencies including the Denver Police Department and Colorado Departmen.
