NCJ Number
188496
Date Published
2000
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This 1999 Annual Report of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council describes the challenges faced by the Council in 1999 and the positive results it has achieved.
Abstract
In 1991, the Illinois General Assembly established the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Council, an 11-member coalition composed of law enforcement and insurance industry officials. The Council is responsible for curtailing vehicle theft, insurance fraud, and related crimes throughout the State. Between 1991 and 1999, the number of stolen vehicles dropped by more than 23,000, resulting in a savings of over $139 million. The grant funds awarded by the Council have significantly improved motor vehicle theft law enforcement by establishing task forces, investigative teams, and other special efforts throughout the State. These programs have resulted in 11,073 criminal investigations initiated, 21,264 audits of vehicle-related businesses conducted, 5,972 persons arrested, 2,439 convictions obtained, and over 18,000 stolen and contraband vehicles recovered worth nearly $117 million. Council-funded programs have successfully attacked the "black market" for stolen vehicles and contraband parts. Special auditing teams scrutinized the forms that track essential parts from buyers and sellers to determine whether the purchases were for other than legitimate rebuilding purposes. In 1999, more than 3,800 audits of vehicle-related businesses were conducted, bringing the statewide total to more than 20,000 since 1992. Extensive data figures and tables on 1999 program activity, the amount of funding authorized for 1991-1999, motor vehicle theft prevention trust funds for 1991 to date, and a copy of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act