TEXAS AUTOMOBILE THEFT PREVENTION AUTHORITY

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WELCOME TO THE EL PASO COUNTY AUTO THEFT PREVENTION TASK FORCE PAGE

HISTORY

The El Paso County Auto Theft Prevention Task Force was created in 1993 and was funded in larger part by a grant from the Texas Auto Theft Prevention Authority. In 1993 El Paso ranked #1 in the United States in auto thefts. The average theft total per-week was between 125-150 vehicles. The grant funding allowed the Task Force to grow with additional investigators, officers, supervisors and civilian personnel.

The additional resources allowed the Task Force to conduct field surveillance, have dedicated intelligence information gathering, raise public awareness through education, participate in the statewide H.E.A.T. program, conduct Organized Crime Ring Investigations and through time develop the state’s first Border Partners unit dealing with our counterparts from Mexico. The Auto Theft Task Force and its partnership with the Mexican authorities have increased the theft recovery rate from approximately 23% to over 40%.

With all of these developments in the Auto Theft Task Force the theft rate in El Paso has gone down 10 of the 12 years of the existence of the Task Force, with only a 1% rise in 2002 and an 8% rise in the theft rate in 2005 and an average of less than 35 stolen vehicles per-week. El Paso now ranks #110 in the United States per capita in stolen vehicles as per NICB data. (National Insurance Crime Bureau)

The El Paso County Auto Theft Prevention Task Force was the recipient of the 1999 Vehicle Theft Award of Merit given by the International Chiefs of Police, the 2001 Peter Girard Award and 3 Unit Commendations awarded in August 1998/October 1998 and March 2000.

MISSION STATEMENT

It is the mission of the El Paso County Auto Theft Prevention Task Force to reduce the theft rate and victimization of the citizens of El Paso through investigation, apprehension and prosecution of auto thieves. To educate the public on auto theft, auto theft prevention, and create partnerships with Mexican authorities in an effort to combat auto theft on an international level.

For Your Convenience, we have included some key E-mail links:

ATTF Lt. Marc Medina                                    MedinaM@elpasotexas.gov
Investigations Sgt. Mario Ceniceros                  CenicerosM@elpasotexas.gov
Crime Prevention Officer Steve Plummer            946@elpasotexas.gov
Field Operations Sgt. John Lanahan                  LanahanJ@elpasotexas.gov

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