Just days after Denver District Attorney Beth McCann announced the indictments of 17 suspects allegedly involved in an elaborate car theft ring, the city outlined new “guidance” for proper illumination in parking lots, which city officials said is a key step in its goal to reduce criminal activity, particularly in downtown, where most paid parking is available.

The new guidelines effectively put some of the onus on parking lot operators to curb car thefts in the city. Officials said the city will initially conduct an outreach to operators and give them time to upgrade their facilities, if necessary, to meet the requirements. 

Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $999 — or license suspension or even revocation.    

“This is not a new regulation,” said Chuck Hickey with the city’s excise and licenses department. “Under Denver law, all parking lots within the City and County of Denver that must be licensed must follow the full requirements for outdoor lighting.”

City crime data shows that from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, there were 744 instances of theft at parking lots or garages in downtown Denver, including vehicle theft, as well as theft of auto parts and items taken from vehicles, along with two instances of carjacking cases in parking garages.

Even Denver Mayor Mike Johnston had his car stolen twice — once in 2017 and again in 2023.

“Preventing crime and protecting public safety for all Denverites is a top priority for me and my administration,” Johnston said in a news release. “This year, we’ve already made significant strides in reducing crime downtown, and this new initiative will help us continue to build a safer Denver that further deters auto theft and other criminal activity in our city’s core.”

According to Denver Police Department crime data, thefts from a motor vehicle in downtown are down 30% year-to-date, and auto theft in downtown is down 12.5% year-to-date.

“So, we are seeing a reduction in crime downtown, but this guidance is another step to make Denver the safest city in America,” Hickey said.

“Darkness can embolden people committing crimes because they believe their actions won’t be seen by others and that they have a better chance of avoiding arrest,” said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas. “The goal of these lighting requirements is to literally shine a bright light on an identified safety concern to help keep our community and their property safe in paid parking lots.”

Parking light fixtures must illuminate the parking lot or garage uniformly and not exceed a ratio of 20:1 or disturb residential areas, meet allowable height restrictions based on zoning or location, adhere to certain light temperatures, as well as not contribute to light pollution or interfere with security camera operation, according to the city’s guidance.

Colorado has been grappling with high rates of car thefts over the last few years. In 2021, Colorado was ranked as the worst state for auto thefts — with 661.21 thefts per 100,000 residents.

Under pressure from law enforcement groups and others, Gov. Jared Polis urged lawmakers last year to pass tougher penalties against car theft. 

Prior to the 2023 changes, the severity of criminal offenses for auto thefts had depended on the value of the stolen vehicle — ranging from a Class 1 misdemeanor for a car worth $2,000 or less to a Class 3 felony for a car worth $100,000 or more.

In addition to removing that value-based approach and tying the severity of penalties to behavior, the new law also goes after repeat offenders: A person who had two prior convictions now faces a first-degree motor vehicle theft, a Class 3 felony, while a person who steals a car that is altered or damaged faces a Class 4 felony.

Officials today credit the decrease in car thefts at least in part to those legislative changes.

In Aurora, Mayor Mike Coffman said leaders grew tired in 2021 and 2022 of waiting for the legislature to address car theft. In 2022, the City Council passed a measure imposing mandatory jail time of 60 days for people convicted of stealing cars for first-time car theft offenders.

In adopting the new guidelines, Denver officials said they know some operators may require extra time to meet requirements and will take that into consideration in enforcing the parking lighting rules.

“Issuing citations and fines is a last resort for our agency,” Hickey said.” We know it will take time for parking lot operators to comply, and some will need to install additional lampposts and light fixtures while others might need to just change lightbulbs.

On Thursday, the licensing department will host an informational session with licensed parking lot operators to go over the program, what it means for a parking lot to be properly lit, and to answer questions.

“We will work with parking lot operators to get them into compliance because we hope these guidelines will help cut down on auto thefts and vehicle break-ins, particularly downtown,” Hickey said. “If we see businesses that don’t work on coming into compliance or crime goes up in that area, we will take quicker action. But we are starting with outreach and education and issuing citations and fines only as a last resort.”

At license renewal, lot operators must submit a form signed by a qualified professional verifying whether the parking lot is compliant or non-compliant with the lighting requirements.