With holidays right around the corner, the Aspen Police Department would like to remind the public to be vigilant and proactive after police received several theft reports within the overflow parking lot of the Truscott Apartments.

“Of course we understand that Aspen is a safe place, and we all want to feel safe and comfortable here,” said Aspen Chief of Police Bill Linn. “But we also need to take just some basic precautions like locking the doors to your house and taking the keys out of your car, and maybe even locking your bicycle. But we don’t want to push too hard.”

APD also recommends not leaving anything of value inside vehicles and if you witness any suspicious activity to report it immediately.

On Oct. 10 a Silver Toyota Camry belonging to a resident of the apartment complex reported their car as being stolen. The car was later found by police abandoned later that evening in a parking lot in Carbondale, according to Linn. 

“That’s a fairly common resolution for stolen vehicles in Aspen, they’re not usually hauled off to a chop shop or something like that,” Linn said. “They usually are a very short term theft and end up parked some place until local PD runs the plates on it.”

The following day on Oct. 11, another Truscott resident reported their car had noticeable signs of entry with the center console having been rifled through with some personal belongings missing. In both instances, the keys had been left in the vehicles.

The reports came just days before the Aspen Municipal Golf Course, which is located within the same area, was vandalized, as well. Police do not believe the incidents to be related in any way. The car theft and trespass remain under investigation.

To reach Jonson Kuhn, email him at [email protected].