NCJ Number
159192
Journal
Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 64 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1995) Pages: 1-4
Date Published
1995
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The San Diego County (Calif.) Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT) was designed in 1992 to respond to the major auto theft problem in the San Diego area.
Abstract
Operating under a formal memorandum of understanding, the task force brings detectives and prosecutors together to address the vehicle theft problem. The 28 detectives come from 16 local, State, and Federal agencies. They coordinate closely with three prosecutors from the district and United States Attorney's Office to develop cases. The $1.8 million in annual funding comes from an added $4 vehicle registration fee. The task force also obtained a $318,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to educate vehicle owners, hire a full-time crime analyst to assist the task force, and evaluate and document RATT's approach and performance. The four teams of investigators combine four main strategies: theft analysis, maintenance of an intelligence base, active liaison with other law enforcement agencies, and informant development. From July 1992 to February 1995, RATT recovered more than 780 stolen vehicles with a combined worth of more than $6.8 million, made more than 300 arrests, achieved a 100 percent conviction rate, and sent more than half the convicted defendants to prison. Photographs