Message from the Executive Director
In this issue we say goodbye to long-time Board Member Judith Hopson as she retires from Board service and her position with AvisBudget Group. Ms. Hopson's dedication and service will be missed.
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| Michelle L. Staton, Executive Director |
Also in this issue, we say goodbye to our Training Instructor, Joseph Datesman. Datesman is a retired Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant who spent 33 years investigating and training other investigators on vehicle theft before joining the ATPA in 2005. He is a long-time member of the ATPA family and will be missed. Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to continue scheduling free training sessions by calling the ATPA at 717.591.7097.
In late October, our grantees convened in York for the ATPA's annual grantee conference. The training sessions were taught by internationally renowned motorcycle, sport bike and ATV identification expert Sergeant Bob Kenney of the Connecticut State Police. Detective Sergeant Salvatore Aprile of the Allentown Police and Lehigh County Auto Theft Task Force received the Scott A. Wertz Auto Theft Investigator of the Year Award at the conference. 
Please be sure to check out our "Mark Your Calendar" section for information on the Joint Training Seminar being hosted by the North East and North Central Chapters of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators and the Ohio Auto Theft Investigators Association. The seminar will be held May 10-13, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Join us as "IAATI Rocks Cleveland!"
It is the dead of winter - the coldest time of the year. If you, like many motorists, warm your car up in the morning and leave it running unattended, you are putting yourself at risk of becoming a victim of auto theft! Unattended running cars attract auto thieves. Always turn off your car, hide your valuables, lock your doors and take your keys. Next time you go to warm up your car, imagine how cold you will be standing at a bus stop if your car is stolen.
Sincerely,
Michelle L. Staton, Executive Director
Longtime Board Member Judith Hopson Retires
After 15 years of service as a Board Member for the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority, Judith Hopson has retired from her post with the ATPA and as the Safety and Security Manager for AvisBudget Group.
Hopson served on the Board of Directors since the inception of the organization. She provided a valuable perspective, bringing the voice of the consumer to Board discussions. The business of the ATPA and the crime of auto theft in
As a founding Board Member, Hopson was a part of the evolution of the ATPA. During her service, the ATPA achieved a 60% reduction in auto theft, became a leader within the national community of auto theft prevention organizations and initiated programs that have strengthened
Mark Your Calendar
NE-IAATI, NC-IAATI & Ohio Auto Theft Investigators Association Joint Annual Training Seminar
May 10-13, 2010
Cleveland, Ohio - For more information, click here.
Det. Sgt. Sal Aprile Wins Scott A. Wertz Award at Grantee Training Conference
Each year, the Pennsylvania Auto Theft Prevention Authority hosts a training conference to advance the expertise of their grantees. The conference, held in late October, 2009 in
York,
PA, focused on motorcycle, sport bike and ATV identification. The conference was also the forum at which the winner of the annual Scott A. Wertz Auto Theft Investigator of the Year Award was announced.
Grantees from across the state attended the conference. The gathering was an effective way to learn, network, discuss collaborative cases and share information. The training sessions were led by Connecticut State Police Sergeant Bob Kenney, who is an internationally renowned expert in motorcycle, sport bike and ATV identification.
The highlight of the conference was the presentation of the Scott A. Wertz Auto Theft Investigator of the Year Award. Nominations for the award are made by grantees who seek to recognize a peer who provides extraordinary service in auto theft investigations and/or prevention that are above and beyond that of which is expected of them in their day-to-day duties. The award serves as a lasting memorial, named in honor of Officer Scott A. Wertz, who was killed in the line of duty in August 2006. Officer Wertz was a police officer with the Reading City Police Department, assigned to the PA State Police’s Central Auto Theft Task Force. While working an auto theft detail in
This year, Detective Sergeant Salvatore Aprile of the Allentown Police Department and Lehigh
County Auto Theft Task Force received the award. Det. Sgt. Aprile was chosen for the award for the diligence and thoroughness with which he approaches his job, his mentoring of other investigators, his unparalleled efforts to raise awareness of auto theft in the community
and his efforts to reach out to other police departments and agencies to build relationships and collaborate on investigations. He is an inspiration to his unit, and a worthy recipient of the award. Det. Sgt. Aprile displayed his award with ATPA Executive Director Michelle Staton in the Adjacent photo.
In the News
Baltimore CBP helps counter D.C.-area motorcycle theft ring
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| Source: blogs.officialexportguide.com/news |
Baltimore's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers helped put an end to a motorcycle theft ring and recovered eight motorcycles stolen from Maryland and Virginia.
Two of the motorcycles were recovered from a shipping container that was en route to Bolivia.
The recoveries were part of an ongoing Fairfax County, Va., police and CBP investigation into an auto theft ring that disassembled motorcycles and smuggled them out of the country in salvage vehicles exported in shipping containers. CBP officers discovered two motorcycles that were disassembled and hidden inside boxes or wrapped in blankets and tucked inside four salvage vehicles in the shipping container.
The Baltimore seaport is one of the nation's busiest at importing and exporting new and used cars, trucks, boats, recreational vehicles and farm equipment.
blogs.officialexportguide.com/news
Mixed reviews for law aiding car-theft victims
Legislation that would help auto-theft victims in Philadelphia avoid the additional burden of having to pay for their cars being towed and impounded after their vehicles are recovered by police is drawing mixed reviews.
The measure by City Councilman Darrell L. Clarke would require police to call vehicle owners and give them an hour to recover their vehicles.
The current policy calls for private tow trucks to remove stolen vehicles located by police. Police stay with the vehicle for 30 minutes while the owner is contacted, officials said. If the owner cannot be reached in 30 minutes, the vehicle is towed, requiring the owner to pay a $150 towing charge and a $25-a-day storage fee.
"Essentially, the tow operators have been getting a windfall," Clarke said.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
Police: Man stole 21 Toyotas
Authorities in Portland, Ore., said a man stole 21 older-model Toyota Camrys in a single month to sell the owners' belongings for meth.
Investigators said the suspect would steal the Camrys while the owners were shopping in grocery stores or asleep in their homes and empty them of belongings including tools, clothes and a $3,000 set of dentures, The (Portland) Oregonian reported.
Prosecutors said the number of charges could result in a life sentence if the suspect is convicted.
United Press International, Portland, OR
Teen stole car, sold it online
Investigators say someone stole a car from Newark, Delaware then put it up for sale on the internet. The car, a 2003 Toyota Camry, had been left unlocked, police said, and the 21-year-old driver kept a key in the center console.
About one week later, the car was posted for sale on eBay. Police traced the ad to a Maryland teen and his conspirator, a Pennsylvania teen.
The car was also listed on Craigslist, where it sold for $600.
Philadelphia News - 6abc.com
Carjackers force man to drive on Route 309; car is burned
A Souderton man was jumped by two armed men and ordered to drive on Route 309 past Quakertown, where they robbed him, set his car on fire and left, police said.
The carjackers, who took $500, a gold necklace and a cell phone from the 44-year-old victim, had assistance from two other men driving sport utility vehicles in front of the carjacked car, Souderton police said.
Police did not suggest any motive besides robbery for the carjacking.
After the carjackers left, a trucker pulled over to help the victim and called police.
The Morning Call, Allentown, PA
ATPA Training Instructor Datesman Retires
The ATPA believes that training is one of the most important tools used to reduce vehicle theft. Joseph Datesman, a retired Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant cultivated this belief as the ATPA's training instructor. Datesman retired from the ATPA in January 2010. This article serves as recognition of Datesman's hard work and of the program he helped develop.
Datesman joined the ATPA in 2005, after 33 years with the State Police investigating and training other investigators on vehicle theft and related subjects. His experience in the field and in the class room helped him develop and implement ATPA's comprehensive training curriculum. The courses are offered free-of-charge to law enforcement professionals in Pennsylvania. In 2009, over 700 officers participated in the training sessions lead by Datesman. Since the inception of the training program, over 2,700 officers have participated.
The courses cover topics ranging from teaching patrol officers what to look for during traffic stops to heavy equipment and tractor-trailer identification.
In retirement, Datesman plans on enjoying his hobbies: golfing, hunting and fishing. His enthusiasm for law enforcement education will be missed.
The following is a listing of the ATPA's officer training curriculum:
- Auto Theft 101: Traffic stops and auto theft-related crime. This course includes information about VIN numbers, titles and license plates, as well as methods of theft.
- Auto Theft 102: Stolen vehicle investigations. This course includes vehicle identification and methods used to alter VINs.
- Auto Theft 103: Identification of ATVs.
- Auto Theft 104: Identification of motorcycles.
- Auto Theft 105: Identification of heavy equipment.
- Auto Theft 106: Identification of trucks, tractors and semi-trailers.
The ATPA's training program will continue and law enforcement agencies are encouraged to schedule free training sessions. For scheduling and more information, call the ATPA at 717.591.7097.
Organized Crime Auto Theft Rings Busted
The ATPA has observed that auto theft cases are increasingly more complex and involve organized crime rings. Groups of thieves are working together to nab new harder-to-steal vehicles.
ATPA Executive Director Michelle Staton joined Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green, representatives from the Pennsylvania State Police and other law enforcement agencies in the south east region of
The motorcycles and ATVs were stolen from people’s homes, with high-end bikes being located by an inside man at a local motorcycle sales and service center. The vehicles were “fenced” in
The Pennsylvania State Police cracked another unrelated organized crime case. Investigators said that a
In total, this group stole more than 20 cars worth about $761,000.
As auto theft numbers continue to decline in
Board of Directors, Grantees & Staff
Board of Directors
- Julia K. Hearthway, Esq., Chairperson, Legislative Committee Chair, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania
- Alan P. Demers, Secretary, Public Relations Committee Chair, Vice President, Claims, Nationwide Insurance Company
- Ronald W. Kosh, Treasurer, Vice President, Public & Government Affairs, AAA Mid Atlantic Insurance Group
- Celeste C. Dodson, Operations Manager, State Farm Insurance Company
- Colonel Frank E. Pawlowski, Commissioner, Pennsylvania State Police
- Charles H. Ramsey, Commissioner, Philadelphia Police Department
Grantees
- Allegheny County District Attorney's Office
- Delaware County District Attorney's Office
- Good Shepherd Mediation Program
- Harrisburg Bureau of Police
- Lancaster City Police
- Lehigh County District Attorney's Office
- Northeast Regional Task Force
- Pennsylvania State Police Auto Theft Units (Western, Central and Eastern)
- Philadelphia District Attorney's Office
- Philadelphia Police Department
- Pittsburgh Police Department
