More than 700 cars were stolen from Denver’s airport in 2023. This year, it’s less than 100

Patrols, cameras and criminal busts are driving down auto theft at DIA.
2 min. read
A United Airlines jet taxis in the background as people make their way across the top deck of the West Garage
A United Airlines jet taxis in the background as people make their way across the top deck of the West Garage into Denver International Airport, Nov. 1, 2023.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

Updated Nov. 12, 2025.

A surge of car thefts at Denver International Airport has all but ended, with the city reporting another dramatic decline in the number of automobiles stolen from the parking lots around DIA.

The number of cars stolen from the airport has fallen by 71 percent compared to last year, the city announced this week, and even more from 2023.

There have been 76 auto thefts reported this year at the airport, according to police data provided by DIA.

That's compared to 734 reported thefts in 2023, and 288 in 2024.

Ford F-150 trucks are the most popular among car thieves. The model and make accounts for nearly 33 percent of thefts reported stolen at the airport this year.

Denver International Airport has taken several steps to stop theft and improve safety. The airport deployed more contract security personnel and Denver police officers to patrol the lots.

The airport is also installing hundreds of surveillance cameras, including High Activity Location Observation (HALO) cameras. In addition to the HALO cameras, more than 90 cameras with more than 197 different views were installed in the Pikes Shuttle Peak Lot in July. The airport is also installing 70 cameras with 120 different views in the Economy parking lot.

Security personnel also receive alerts when reported stolen vehicles enter key locations on the airport property. 

Law-enforcement agencies have also arrested suspects in multiple alleged theft rings that targeted hundreds of cars. One crew allegedly stole 59 vehicles, mostly around the airport in 2022 and 2023, and used some in burglaries.

Another operation was alleged to have stolen 190 vehicles.

Denver police also assisted federal authorities in arresting two Cuban nationals connected to a nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring in June, with nine vehicles recovered after being stolen from DIA.

Editor's note: This article was updated to reflect more specific data provided by Denver International Airport.

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