Week of April 28, 2022
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
CastleRockNewsPress.net
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 2
Douglas County car thefts keep law enforcement busy Castle Rock is outlier in state trends BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Stolen cars have recently become one of Douglas County law enforcement’s top priorities as thefts increase across the entire metro area with Castle Rock serving as the
single exception. Data from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) shows car thefts up 20% in Douglas County between 2021 and 2020, while the metro area saw a 39% increase as a whole. Though Douglas County represents only 623 stolen cars out of the 27,409 metro area thefts, local law enforcement is reporting car theft is the top crime officers investigate.
Of the 29 reporting agencies in CMATT’s annual report, Castle Rock was the only municipality or county to see a decrease in the number of thefts in 2021 compared to 2020 at a rate of 25%. Cmr. Jason Lyons, of the Castle Rock Police Department, credited the difference to three main tactics, including installing a new license plate reading system, called FLOCK, at various places throughout the town.
Douglas County joins GOALS facility to serve homeless families
SEE THEFTS, P6
Parker man accused of selling fake vaccination cards
Working to address homelessness BY ELLIOTT WENZLER EWENZLER@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Some Douglas County families experiencing homelessness will soon have access to a new resource after the county received $1 million in federal funding to participate in the GOALS facility in nearby Arapahoe County. Douglas County commissioners participated in a roundtable with Congressman Jason Crow April 21 at the facility to discuss the funding for the residential program, which seeks to help unhoused families become financially independent. Crow secured the $1 million in funding as part of his Community Funding Projects. “What we’re seeing with unhoused families is this is a regional issue, boundaries and jurisdictions don’t determine people’s needs,” Crow said. “The resulting trend is you’re SEE GOALS, P7
Like license plate readers installed on police cars, the FLOCK system scans license plates that pass the stationary reader, compares it to a national database and alerts officers when a plate is reported stolen or connected to a crime, warrant or missing person. ] Lyons estimated officers receive several alerts on a daily basis they follow up on.
Faces federal charges BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL THE COLORADO SUN
A Parker man produced and sold hundreds of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to people in more than a dozen states, with help from a co-conspirator who worked in the defense industry and had a Top Secret security clearance, according to a federal complaint. Robert Van Camp faces federal charges of conspiracy and trafficking counterfeit goods in an alleged business scheme he ran for about Scott Shields guides a tour in the GOALS facility April 20.
Dream Big Dreams...
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 10 | LIFE: PAGE 12 | CALENDAR: PAGE 15 | SPORTS: PAGE 18
PHOTO BY ELLIOTT WENZLER
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SEE ACCUSED, P31
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