June 16, 2009 12:37 PM Eastern Time 

Vehicle Criminals Face Tough Opponents: Texas ABTPA Law Enforcement

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The word is out in Texas. Steal a car, truck, motorcycle or heavy equipment vehicle in this state and the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA) task force team will hunt you down.

“Vehicle thefts are gateway crimes to other violent crimes”

This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing further details about the organization, products and services introduced below. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/TexasABTPA/.

Since 1991, undercover and street vehicle theft investigators from federal, state, county and city entities, through grants from ABTPA, have banded together to fight vehicle-related crimes in Texas; thereby, reducing theft by 61%. But, these task forces won’t rest until more vehicle thieves, and other serious crimes they are connected with, are stopped.

“Vehicle thefts are gateway crimes to other violent crimes,” said Chief Carlos Garcia, City of Brownsville Police Dept. and ABTPA board chairman. “When we go after car thieves, we catch other criminals, through busts for money, drug and weapon seizures. A car stolen from Houston once was even used as a terrorist car bomb,” added Garcia.

Protecting Texas borders has become a high priority both in the Lone Star State and in the White House, but long-standing efforts from the ABTPA law enforcement teams in Brownsville, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, El Paso and Laredo, along with the other urban and rural area task forces, have demonstrated that strength in numbers, tight communications between all law enforcement groups and, equally important, increased public awareness about vehicle burglary and theft prevention, are the ways to successfully curb vehicle-related crimes at the borders and beyond.

“In Texas, an estimated 50% of the vehicles stolen had the owner’s keys in the ignition,” said Charles Caldwell, director, ABTPA. “This is a shocking statistic and should be a wake-up call to any driver. You literally hold the key to preventing the burglary or theft of your vehicle.”

ABTPA task force members agree that they can’t fight vehicle crime alone. Drivers must do their part to help prevent burglaries and thefts from happening, because these crimes occur right where they live, work and play. The most common areas, at which vehicle criminals lurk and watch for driver carelessness, are residential streets and apartment, mall, daycare, fitness center or hospital parking lots.

“Simply put, where you go, they go,” said Lt. Tommy Hansen, past president of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators and ABTPA Galveston County task force member. “When you leave your purse, laptop—or worse, your keys—in plain sight, you are just inviting car thieves to help themselves to your vehicle, identity and safety,” said Hansen.

ABTPA says the best way to avoid being victimized is to make sure you always hide your belongings, lock your vehicle and take the keys.

For more information on vehicle burglary and theft prevention tips; or, to schedule a neighborhood presentation or event with your local law enforcement team, call 800-CAR-WATCH or go to http://www.txwatchyourcar.com.

View additional details at: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/TexasABTPA/

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