Are you a puffer? Do you leave your vehicle running on the street to warm it up before leaving for work or taking the kids to school?
Denver Police Department (DPD) will be ticketing cars parked at the curb that are running without a driver, and DPD will also issue tickets to victims whose cars were stolen as a result of being left idling.
The number of stolen vehicles has more than doubled in 2014 (10 in 2013 versus 21 though October 2014), and DPD predicts the number of cars stolen in the winter months will increase due to puffers.
CRIMES IN THE AREA
Assault
On Nov. 2 between 6:00-6:30 p.m., two women in separate incidents in the NW corner of Washington Park East were assaulted as they left friends’ houses to get into their cars. A male choked each victim as they fought back. The suspect headed to Speer Blvd. where Denver Police caught up with him. He assaulted a female police officer before being taken into custody.
Burglary
A home owner in the area came home to find two suspects, a male and a female, burglarizing his home. He was menaced with a gun before the pair fled. A new method of breaking into cars has been seen in the neighborhood. Thieves are drilling a hole below a door handle to gain entry. The best way to avoid a car break-in is to use your garage or a car cover.
Robbery
The DU area has been experiencing several aggravated (i.e., the use of a gun), daytime robberies, where a pair of male suspects demand victims hand over their smart phone or tablet.
Scam
Residents have been receiving scam calls at home where they are asked to pay city fines over the phone. City and County of Denver does not collect fines over the phone.