Quick reminder to all our neighbors – NEVER LEAVE YOUR CAR RUNNING UNATTENDED!

Please read this notice from the Denver Police Department encouraging theft protection:

No one likes climbing into a bone-chilling cold car, but warming up a vehicle while leaving it running unattended – “puffing” – is a golden invitation to car thieves.

The Denver Police Department is asking for residents’ help in applying the brakes to this car theft trend by simply remaining in their car while it’s idling and warming to a good operating temperature.

And good habits for preventing car theft year-round are:

• Always lock your car, roll up the windows and take your keys.
• Never leave belongings in your car. Anything is valuable to a criminal.
• Never leave the car running unattended, even for a short period. Criminals are looking for unattended cars to use in committing other crimes.
• Park in well-lit and busy areas.
• Use an alarm system and/or steering wheel lock device, so your vehicle is less tempting to steal.

Besides increasing the risk of thieves stealing a car, “puffing” can also result in a citation, even if the vehicle is equipped with a remote start system.

The Denver Municipal Ordinance relevant to “puffing” was enacted to address air quality issues and states:

Sec. 4-43. – Idling restriction.

(a) No person shall allow a vehicle to idle for more than five (5) minutes in any one-hour period unless:

(1) The ambient outside air temperature has been less than twenty (20) degrees Fahrenheit for each hour of the previous twenty-four (24) hour period; or

(2) The latest hourly ambient outside air temperature is less than ten (10) degrees Fahrenheit.

(b) The idling restriction in subsection (a) shall not apply to emergency vehicles; to vehicles engaged in traffic control operations; to vehicles which are being serviced; to vehicles that must idle to operate auxiliary equipment, including but not limited to pumps, compressors or refrigeration units; or to vehicles en route to a destination that are stopped by traffic congestion.

(c) The idling restriction in subsection (a) applies to transportation vehicles, as defined in this subsection, except that the time during which transportation vehicles are actively loading or discharging passengers may not be included in the computation of the five (5) minutes provided for in subsection 4-43(a). A transportation vehicle shall be defined for purposes of this section to mean motor vehicles designed to transport a minimum of sixteen (16) persons.

(Ord. No. 330-90, 6-4-90; Ord. No. 683-08, § 15, 12-8-08)