Denver cracks down on parking lot crime, hopes new lighting regulations will curb thefts

Denver city officials hope new lighting guidelines for city parking lots will curb hundreds of downtown auto thefts and vehicle break-ins.

The Denver Municipal Code requires that city parking lots have “proper illumination.” However, before today, there was no guidance on what exactly that meant.

“If we wanted to go out and identify a parking lot that didn’t meet regulations without these guidelines and standards, we wouldn’t have anything to hold the parking lot companies accountable to,” said Molly Duplechian, executive director of Denver’s Excise and Licenses Office.

Duplechian said the Denver Police Department first raised the issue of poorly lit parking lots roughly six months ago, citing higher crime rates in areas with darker lots, especially in downtown Denver. The police department told city officials that good lighting is one of the biggest deterrents to committing crimes, she said.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, more than 740 cars were stolen or broken into in downtown Denver parking lots and garages, according to data from the police department. That count includes vehicle theft, theft of auto parts and items stolen from inside cars.

“Darkness can embolden people committing crimes because they believe their actions won’t be seen by others and that they have a better chance of avoiding arrest,” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said. “The goal of these lighting requirements is to literally shine a bright light on an identified safety concern to help keep our community and their property safe in paid parking lots.”

The Excise and Licenses Office will hold a meeting with Denver’s parking lot companies on Thursday to talk about the new guidelines and what it means for a parking lot to be properly lit, Duplechian said.

Parking lights should have zero “uplight” contributing to light pollution, be bright enough to illuminate the shadows of the parking area without causing glare or visibility issues for cameras and eyesight, not bother nearby residential areas and meet certain temperature and uniformity ratios, according to a news release from city officials.

Duplechian said the city worked with a lighting engineer for six months to develop standards that would make parking lots safe and limit the opportunity for crimes to be committed.

Duplechian said the Excise and Licenses Office’s first approach will be education and outreach, not immediately issuing citations for parking lots in violation of the new guidelines.

She said it would take time for parking lot operators to comply. Some need to install additional lamposts and light fixtures while others may need to simply change out lightbulbs. She said some parking lots could be eligible for free lighting upgrades through Xcel.

“If we see businesses that refuse to come into compliance, continue to be an issue or crime goes up in that area, we will take quicker action,” she said. “Parking lots have to show us upon (license) renewal that they’re in compliance, but if we have an egregious situation … then we’ll address that.”

By this time next year, all of the parking lot operators will have had to renew their licenses and will have had to reach compliance with the new lighting regulations. Parking lot operators not in compliance may face fines up to $999 and license suspension or revocation.

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