2017-025 - Authorizing the Extension of the Grant to the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority for continuation of the North Texas Auto Theft Task Force

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Division Detectives with search warrants when possible due to the stolen property from car burglaries being routinely linked to the drug trade. The Lamar County Sheriffs Office does not have near the number of car burglaries as the city and few of their cases are investigated by the Task Force unless contacted and requested by the Sheriff?s Office. The Task Force is commonly called by Red River County, Hopkins County, Fannin County and Hunt County for assistance with auto theft cases to include trailer thefts as well. The Task Force is contacted on most, if not all, of the vehicle arson cases in the counties adjacent to Lamar County including Hunt County. The Task Force is also called on by the Texas Department of Public Safety from time to time when they have a burned vehicle they need identified either by it being involved in an accident or criminal activity. The Task Force maintains a bait vehicle for deterring auto theft and auto burglaries and also makes use of a bait trailer set up with a tracking device to arrest trailer thieves which is common in our coverage area. The Task Force commonly attends public events in Hopkins, Lamar, and Hunt County and sets up a booth distributing information on auto theft and auto burglary. Finally, the Task Force regulates the tow companies in Paris by reviewing and approving their city tow license application each year, monitoring their vehicle storage facilities and checking their abandon vehicles as they come in to their care. The Task Force also handles complaints that are received on the tow companies. 3.2 Functions of the Proposed Program Related to Theft of a Motor Vehicle The NORTHEAST TEXAS AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE is a small two -man task force covering a large (9) nine county area that is mainly rural in composition. The Task Force is not directly assisted by any other Agency other than the Paris Police Department. The Senior Detective is the project manager and he reports directly to a Lieutenant in the Criminal Investigation Division of the Paris Police Department. The Chief of Police of the Paris Police Department is the Project Director. The CID Lieutenant reports to a Captain which is supervised by the Assistance Chief of Police and the Chief of Police. Detectives commonly work with Investigators from the Lamar County Sheriff?s Office when it is necessary. The biggest cities in the coverage area are Sherman and Texarkana followed by Paris and then Greenville. The taskforce Detectives has been investigating auto theft and burglary crimes since 2010 and 2011 for an approximate total of about (9) nine years of combined experience. The Detectives have a combined total of (34) thirty-four years of overall law enforcement experience. The Taskforce completes VTR -68A inspections of the citizens in the coverage area every Thursday and they are done in Bonham and Paris. The Task Force routinely examines antique vehicles in place, when necessary, and that takes place anywhere in the coverage area on a case by case basis. A lot of these are done in the Sherman, Texas area. The Task force investigates all auto thefts to include any and all wheeled vehicles such as trailers, all - terrain vehicles (ATV) and tractors etc. reported to the Paris Police Department as well the Lamar County Sheriff ?s Department. The Task Force investigates all burglary of vehicle cases reported to the Paris Police Department and this sometimes includes credit card abuse and theft of firearm cases stemming from the auto burglaries. A lot of these cases have no follow up but Detectives at least read the report to see what items were stolen and to see where the cases are occurring. Detectives try to assist Narcotics Division Detectives with search warrants when possible due to the stolen property from car burglaries being routinely linked to the drug trade. The Lamar County Sheriffs Office does not have near the number of car burglaries as the city and few of their cases are investigated