NCJ Number
200295
Date Published
2001
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This annual report documents information and program activities of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council throughout 2001 in its efforts to prevent vehicle theft in Illinois.
Abstract
In 1991, the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council was established to reduce vehicle theft, insurance fraud, and motor vehicle theft-related crimes through the Council’s partnership of the public and private sectors. This annual report presents the achievements of the Council in the year 2001. The report includes a 2001 financial statement, under the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Fund, program funding for 2001, summary of program purposes, activities, and results, and the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act. In 1991, the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act was enacted requiring insurance companies to pay $1.00 for each private passenger automobile insured for physical damage coverage. The funds collected are than designated for law enforcement programs to increase the investigation and prosecution of vehicle thefts. In 2001, the Council funded 13 programs in the areas of law enforcement, specialized prosecution, special investigative activities, and infrastructure support for law enforcement. Highlighted achievements include: (1) the number of vehicle thefts in Illinois dropped 25 percent from 1991-2000; (2) motor vehicle theft rates dropped 31 percent; (3) from 1991-2000, the number of reported vehicle theft arrests increased 18 percent; (4) the vehicle theft arrest rate increased 12 percent; (5) 83 percent of the vehicles reported stolen in 2001 were recovered; (6) the average sentence length for motor vehicle theft decreased in 2000; (7) the number of sentences handed-down decreased by approximately 2 percent in 2000; (8) more than 2,096 audits of vehicle related businesses were conducted in 2001; and (9) audit teams have recovered an estimated $14 million in stolen contraband vehicles since 1992. Tables and graphs