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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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. Grant Problem Statement 2.1 Provide an assessment of the motor vehicle burglary (including theft of parts) problem in the coverage area of this application. The motor vehicle burglary issues continue to be a problem in the Paris area. The crime tends to be committed by the younger adult males and the crime seems to go hand in hand with the drug trade. This is has been confirmed or proven with several guns stolen from cars being found later when the city narcotics unit runs a search warrant on a drug trafficker. It is more common than not for stolen guns to be found during those search warrants. We have also seen in increase in the number of firearms being left in unlocked vehicles and those weapons are commonly being stolen. Probably 90 to 95% of the cities car burglaries are vehicles that are left unlocked. The total firearms stolen from motor vehicles from 2014 is (5) five, 2015 is (19) nineteen, 2016 is (20) twenty and from January to April 2017 is (9) nine. Comparing the loss summary from 2014 to 2016, the City of Paris had a total of $97,381 in reported stolen property in 2014, $98,263 in 2015 and $118,479 in 2016 For the first (4) four months of 2017 the City of Paris has had a reported $30,588 in stolen property attributed to motor vehicle burglary. The City also has seen an increase in vehicle battery thefts with a total of (21) twenty-one in 2017 already. 2.2 Provide an assessment of the motor vehicle theft problem in the coverage area of this application The motor vehicle theft problem in our area is significant after examining NICB'S report on Hotspots 2015 (https:llwww.nicb.orgltheft_and fraud_awareness /top places for- vehicle- thefts). An examination of this report shows the Task Force currently has (2) two cities that make this list with TEXARKANA,TX -AR METRO making the list at number #74 and SHERMAN - DENISON making the list at #123. This list is composed of 380 Nationwide