Plummeting temps bring spike in Aurora ‘puffer’ car thefts, tickets and warnings

AURORA | As another cold snap threatens the metro area, police are pushing hard to persuade people to sit in their frigid car instead of starting it and heading back inside while it heats up.

Aurora police crime stats show a sharp increase in “puffers,” the term reserved for drivers who start their cars and leave them running and unattended, just for someone else to drive off with them.

“One of the biggest risks of leaving your car running unattended is what happens after it’s stolen,” Agent Matthew Longshore, Aurora Police Department public information officer, said in a statement. 

Police have long lamented the quandary with puffers, ripe for motor vehicle theft. 

“Criminals often use stolen vehicles to commit other crimes, knowing they can abandon or wreck them without concern,” Longshore said. “Since the car isn’t theirs, they don’t care what happens to it — and using a stolen vehicle sometimes makes it harder for police to track them down.”

Motor vehicle theft of puffer cars increased by 80% in the last month with the colder weather, with 27 incidents reported compared to 15 in December.

Overall, motor vehicle thefts have plummeted by 46.1% year over year, but puffer motor vehicle theft incidents remain a concern. District-specific data reveals fluctuations, with District 1 experiencing a 42.9% increase in Puffer thefts, District 2 seeing a 100% rise, and District 3 reporting a 150% spike.

Despite these short-term increases from seasonal changes, year-to-date numbers show a 25.6% decline in puffer motor vehicle theft incidents across Aurora.

Although there is a puffer law in Aurora, the police department did not mention any crackdowns on puffers or citation statistics. In Aurora, and many municipalities, drivers are ticketed for leaving their cars running unattended, even if they’re stolen.

One possible reason for the decline in puffer motor vehicle theft and crackdowns on puffer cars is the popularity of remote-start vehicles.

“To stay safe, we recommend using a remote start or staying in your vehicle while it warms up,” Longshore said. “Many people don’t realize that driving your car actually heats it up faster than letting it idle outside. Not only are you running the risk that someone gets in and drives away with your vehicle, but it’s also illegal, and you can be cited.”

The old myth that people need to let their car heat up before driving so not to damage the engine hasn’t been true for quite a while, according to AAA. Skyler McKinley, AAA regional director of Public Affairs, said people don’t need to spend as much time warming up their cars as they might think. 

“Historically, there was a point in American history where you had to run your car for a while, especially in these frigid temperatures,” Mckinley said. “Those days are gone, and they’ve been gone for a long time.”

He said that typically, the time it takes a person to buckle up and adjust their seat, mirrors or car radio, the engine is warm enough to start driving. One caveat he mentioned was that people should not be running their heater when they start their cars. 

“You should not be running or attempting to run your air conditioner or heater until your engine has come to temperature; until your oil has come to temperature,” He said. “Just leave it off.”

Many newer cars now have remote start systems, allowing people to lock their car after they’ve started it. Remote-start vehicles are exempt from the state puffer law, but still ripe for vandalism and crime, police said.

If people remember to keep their cars locked after they remote start them, they shouldn’t have a problem. Longshore said that most cars with that ability can function normally without the key present once the car is started. However, the vehicle can’t be restarted once it’s turned off. 

“When I was researching puffers yesterday, this is exactly what happened to someone’s Toyota Highlander,” Longshore said. “They had a (remote start system), started it, walked away thinking it was safe, and a thief jumped in and drove off.”