AUSTIN,TX – Auto burglars and thieves better watch out! Tuesday, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority awarded $13.6 million in grants to Texas Cities and Counties to reduce and prevent motor vehicle crime across the state.
These grants provide support for motor vehicle theft and fraud-related motor vehicle crime enforcement teams. These specialized investigators identity trends, use of specialized equipment and maintain statewide coordination to combat crime.
In Fiscal Year 2020, taskforces (236 officers) funded by MVCPA recovered 12,860 vehicles, cleared 19,258 motor vehicle theft cases, and arrested 3,592 people for motor vehicle theft.
"The vision of MVCPA is to empower communities to help free Texans from the harm and loss caused by motor vehicle crime." said Laredo Assistant Chief of Police and MVCPA Board Chair Mike Rodriguez. "Not only the loss an individual faces when their vehicle is stolen, but other crimes committed with stolen vehicles like human trafficking and drug smuggling."
This year, 24 law enforcement agencies submitted applications for grant funding. Many of the applications are for multi-jurisdictional taskforces where agencies combine resources in the fight against motor vehicle crime.
Dallas Police Lieutenant and MVCPA Board Member Julio Gonzalez said, " These grants allow police department and sheriff's offices to directly target criminals who are responsible for staggering financial losses to Texans."
Grant Recipients include:
- City of Austin- $411,300
- City of Beaumont- $583,951
- City of Brownsville- $1,020,922
- Burnet County- $220,895
- City of Corpus Christi- $429,518
- City of Dallas- $797,339
- Dallas County- $544,454
- City of Eagle Pass- $138,059
- City of El Paso- $975,265
- Galveston County- $518,201
- Harris County- $853,100
- City of Houston- $1,251,130
- City of Laredo- $756,565
- Lubbock County- $446,785
- City of Mansfield- $331,342
- Montgomery County- $372,720
- City of Paris- $117,857
- City of Pasadena- $83,940
- Potter County- $399,494
- City of San Antonio- $815,785
- Smith County- $357,474
- Tarrant County- $1,332,593
- Travis County- $697,075
Established by the 72nd Texas legislature in 1991, MVCPA is charged with combatting motor vehicle theft, motor vehicle burglary, and fraud-related motor vehicle crime in Texas. This is the 29th year the authority has issued grant funding to law enforcement across the state.
For more information about how to protect yourself from motor vehicle crime, visit MVCPA online by clicking HERE.
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