Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA)

Colorado insurance consumers may notice an annual $1 charge on their car insurance policy that funds the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA). A Colorado law went into effect July 1, 2008, that requires insurance companies to collect $1 for every insured vehicle. That money helps fund auto theft prevention grants approved by the CATPA.

The new law provides an estimated $4 million a year that directly targets auto theft across Colorado. State legislators intended this to be a direct investment by consumers to combat auto theft and lower car insurance premiums. The CATPA is similar to auto theft prevention authorities in other states that have successfully reduced auto theft by providing ongoing funding to investigation, enforcement, prosecution, public awareness and law enforcement training programs.

Since CATPA efforts were first launched in 2005, the number of stolen vehicles in Colorado has decreased by 55 percent—from 25,315 to 11,459. This is in large part due to the CATPA funded multi-jurisdictional auto theft task forces operating across the state.

Click here to download the CATPA fact sheet.

Why Insurance Funding?

Auto theft victims know first-hand how it feels to experience a car jacking or look for your car and it's simply gone. You're scared, angry, frustrated and helpless. But, everyone is actually a victim of auto theft because we all pay for it through increased insurance premiums.

Auto theft is covered by the optional comprehensive coverage on your auto policy and that premium is impacted by the auto theft crime rate where you live. For the individual auto theft victim, in addition to paying the insurance deductible, there are other costs such as insurance premium increases, the time spent dealing with police, vehicle rental fees, and time off from work.

There are common sense auto theft prevention steps drivers can take, but in an attempt to really put the brakes on Colorado's auto theft problem Colorado legislators have created the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) to support investigation, enforcement, prosecution, public awareness and law enforcement training programs.

Coloradans Against Auto Theft

Together with law enforcement agencies, insurance companies and community partners, the newly formed Coloradans Against Auto Theft (CAAT) coalition is working to put the brakes on auto theft. CAAT has launched "Lockdown," a statewide auto theft prevention initiative to educate the public on what they can do to reduce their chances of becoming a victim of auto theft.

Logon to CAAT's auto theft prevention website: www.lockdownyourcar.org, for current auto theft trends, victim support, testimonials and current coalition efforts to prevent auto theft in Colorado.