Westminster passed a slew of new ordinances that aim to address thefts related to motor vehicles and street racing at their May 22 city council meeting.

“Council asked for this, our residents asked for this, our emails are full of concerns about speed exhibitions,” City Councilor Rich Seymour said. 

According to the meeting’s agenda, the four new laws will prohibit the unauthorized removal of motor vehicle parts, allow for the court to set a bond and hold a defendant accused of motor vehicle trespass, clarify rules for impounding vehicles, makes a protocol for the court to impose and enforce restitution orders and allow for “closure” of vehicles engaged in public nuisance.

City Attorney David Frankel said the new motor vehicle trespass law is designed to give quicker results by putting the cases through Westminster Municipal Court, instead of them going through the County courts. 

He said it addresses joyriding, which the State Legislature made a misdemeanor to municipalities to regulate it. 

Frankel said the removal of motor vehicle parts is intended to address things like catalytic converters being stolen. The agenda also says it will make for an easier and more successful prosecution since the type of evidence needed will be narrowed. 

Frankel said the impoundment ordinance is a “cleanup” of the existing law by clarifying the provisions on impoundment. 

“It will make clear that the court only has jurisdiction to conduct hearings regarding the probable cause for impoundment when a vehicle has been impounded by order of a Westminster Police Officer, within our city and stored at a facility designated by the City,” he said.

Regarding the closure of the vehicle, it’s been a tool used by other cities in Colorado to stop street racing, including Denver, Aurora, Wheat Ridge, Greenwood Village and Northglenn. 

It allows for a vehicle to become impounded, or closed, if they’ve been involved in certain public nuisance activities. Such vehicles will be restricted from use. 

That closure can limit who can use the vehicle, restricting certain types of use or prohibiting all use completely. 

Mayor Pro Tem David DeMott touted the laws and said that street racing has led to the loss of life in the city.

“This is related to a considerable amount of complaints council members get from street racing,” he said. 

City Councilor Bruce Baker, who was the only one to dissent against all the ordinances except for restitution (restitution passed unanimously) didn’t agree with the laws. 

“I have some problems with taking people’s property before they’ve been found guilty in a court,” said Baker.

A crime of opportunity 

Lisa Pasko, an associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Denver, said the best way to combat catalytic converters from being stolen is to put theft guards on them. 

“The catalytic converters are a crime of opportunity, low risk/high reward. It’s lucrative and easy, now that cars have to have them,” she wrote in an email. 

Increasing penalties only work if they are swift and certain, she said. 

“...most people engaged in the illicit economy only really weigh whether or not they will be caught, not the penalty, so arrests really matter,” she wrote. 

She said the best thing to do is to offer free theft guards. Pasko said many crews are moving along the I-70 and I-25 corridors committing their crimes across different states. Arrest rates are usually low, typically 10%. 

“They will still get released because we cannot hold indefinitely on these offenses. It’s possible some offenders will be jailed for a while if they cannot make bond and that could dilute the pool of motivated offenders, but I doubt it,” she wrote.