Metro News Release

For immediate release: May 26, 2004

Metro Transit Police auto theft unit wins award

Metro Transit Police Department’s Auto Theft Unit was recognized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments today when it was presented with the " Vehicle Theft Unit Award" by the regional Chiefs of Police Motor Vehicle Theft Subcommittee. The Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) implemented a department-wide Auto Theft Unit in August 2003 to reduce parking lot crime and take proactive enforcement efforts to reduce the region’s increasing problems with stolen autos. From August through December, the unit reported 42 arrests, culminating in 62 felony and 81 misdemeanor charges. In one arrest, a subject was arrested after assaulting an officer with a vehicle. In another case, a subject was arrested for an armed car jacking. In calendar year 2003, the MTPD saw a 23 percent reduction in auto thefts. " I am extremely proud of the hard work that our Auto Theft Unit has put forth since its inception," said Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson. " Auto theft and thefts from automobiles are a problem in the Washington Metropolitan region, and our parking facilities are no exception." The most common type of crime reported to the Metro Transit Police is property crime. About 57,000 vehicles park in Metro lots on an average weekday. The Auto Theft Unit consists of officers in plain clothes, officers on motorcycles, K-9 teams, officers on bicycles, portable aerial towers, and even Metro employees who are on workers compensation assignments that allow them to work for the police department as Parking Lot Observers. Officers assigned to the Auto Theft Unit have been deploying a variety of tactics to successfully apprehend offenders in Metro parking lots. Motorcycle and K-9 officers have been providing dedicated rapid response to plain clothes officers, ensuring a successful apprehension when criminal activity is observed. Motorcycle and K-9 officers not only deter crime and funnel suspects toward plain clothes officers with uniform visibility, but are able to get to the scene of crimes in progress in just a few minutes. This has proven most successful in catching car thieves. In addition to the units utilized for rapid response, investigators with knowledge of auto theft criminals conducted skilled interviews and interrogations that resulted in confessions to a number of open auto theft related cases. One member of the unit is a dedicated auto theft examiner and part of his duties include networking with other agency auto theft units, compiling statistics and educating the public about theft prevention tips and exchanging intelligence information throughout the region. As part of these education initiatives, the examiner also distributes free anti-theft devices when supplies are available.

News release issued on May 26, 2004.