Dem mayor's car stolen amid rising auto thefts in Colorado

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, is among the growing number of individuals in Colorado who have had their vehicles stolen. 

Several local reports emerged Tuesday saying that Johnston was an auto theft victim as the Centennial State has experienced a drastic uptick in such heists in recent years. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Johnston's office confirmed his car was stolen "about a month ago" and has "since been recovered thanks to the incredible work of the Denver Police Department."

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Johnston's office further confirmed that his car was stolen in Denver but would not share specific details to "protect the safety of Mayor Johnston and his family."

The mayor's car theft came as the issue has been a compounding problem in the state. 

According to Fox 31 Denver, vehicle thefts in Colorado have increased more than in any other state between 2011 and 2020 and have jumped 144% during that time. Denver accounted for a large chunk of the thefts.

And earlier this year, nearly half of Denver crime was vehicle-related, the publication reported. 

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This wasn't the first time Johnston's vehicle had been stolen. 

"Help! My car just got stolen from Office Depot on 35th+quebec. Call 911 if seen (yes I painted my car orange+blue)," Johnston posted on Twitter in January 2017.

In a post four days later, Mayor Johnston credited the "amazing work" from Denver police for helping him track down his Jeep, adding whoever stole his vehicle "rip[ped] orange panels" off.

Johnston's mayoral campaign website earlier this year said that he wanted a "Denver where you can walk outside with your kids at night and feel safe in any neighborhood." As part of Johnston's platform for "holding people accountable," he called for making "auto theft a felony, not a misdemeanor."

"As Mayor, I will push to raise the penalty for stealing a car back to a felony," the campaign website reads. "You should not get the same penalty for stealing a car as you do for texting while you drive that car."

Johnston assumed office as Denver's mayor in July.