Auto theft strike force disbanded [The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.]
By Mark E. Vogler, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
In
The original task force included five
Over nearly three decades since its inception, the strike force has been credited with saving millions of dollars through its recovery of stolen vehicles and busting of theft rings and chop shops which sell stolen car parts.
"They've done good work," said
"Theft claims between 1987 and 2011 dropped 89 percent in
"Theft claims in
But despite the millions of dollars the strike force has saved in reduced auto theft claims, the state has decided to disband the unit now manned by state troopers for fiscal reasons.
"This was a move made to enhance patrol presence in the context of a tight budget situation,"
"The auto theft unit was certainly a valuable unit for us; unfortunately resources are finite, and we made a management decision that prioritized uniformed road patrols," Procopio said.
"The Department closed its auto theft unit and reassigned the unit's troopers, who formerly investigated property crimes, to uniformed patrol duties, where they will join our first-responder mission to protect the lives and safety of people who live in and travel through our state," he said.
"This will enhance the patrol force that removes dangerous drivers from our roads, helps motorists involved in crashes, and responds to critical incidents in our cities, towns and neighborhoods. The decision ensures adequate staffing in the barracks in the most cost-effective manner."
Other statewide
Johnston, of the
"In all honesty, if the local police departments stay involved dealing with this on an ongoing basis, I wouldn't expect to see a measurable change in the theft rate, or in premiums," Johnston said.
But the shutdown of the strike force could have an impact in communities like
"The state police in general have been great supporters of the city of
"Especially in the last couple of years when we didn't have an auto theft unit and we relied on them (the strike force)," the chief said.
When the
Chief Romero declined to speculate what kind of impact the elimination of the strike force would have on
"It's not my place to comment on their decision," Romero said of the strike force shutdown.
"But I appreciate their help as well as all the help we got from state police over the years. We have a very good relationship with them and they work very well in
It took years before
Auto thefts in
But auto thefts increased again when layoffs forced Chief Romero to shutdown the city's auto insurance fraud task force several years ago. This year's reactivation of special operations units has led to more city police involvement in stolen car investigations, but not as much as when the insurance fraud task force was active.
Now, the special operations unit is expected to fill the void created by the end of governor's strike force.
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(c)2012 The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.)
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