Over 200 auto theft investigators from law enforcement agencies across the region  are gathering in the Twin Cities this week to attend the North Central Regional Chapter of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) annual regional training, being held in the Twin Cities May 1-4, 2023.  The conference offers new insights for law enforcement to tackle auto theft. 

The Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau has been leading efforts to organize the conference and will be highlighting a current auto theft prevention campaign currently underway in Minnesota: Take Your Keys ALWAYS is the message for the statewide campaign launched in April. More info on the campaign here. Commerce Fraud Bureau Special Agent Joseph Boche, who directs Minnesota’s Auto Theft Prevention Program, is a member of the IAATI Board of Directors, and has been integral to organizing the conference.

“This conference, and our active engagement with auto theft investigators across the region and around the world, demonstrates how the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau is collaborating with law enforcement to pursue multiple efforts to reduce auto thefts,” said Commerce Enforcement Assistant Commissioner Jacqueline Olson. 

Among the presentations: 

• Commerce Fraud Bureau has four presentations: awareness and detection of auto theft techniques, investigating cases of auto theft export fraud, effective methods for patrol investigation reports, and detering  catalytic converter thefts. 
• A presentation by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud deputy director about what happens when the car owner is complicit in a theft, including sophisticated schemes designed to defraud insurance companies.
• A presentation on programmer and high-tech theft tools, looking at recent trends related to high-tech thefts, such as key reprogramming and relay attacks.    
• The Global Security Lead for General Motors is presenting about issues for electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles (EVs/AVs) for law enforcement, how theft methods and investigative techniques are expected to evolve with EVs/AVs, how a fleet of EVs/AVs would affect police operations, and more.
• Analyst and prosecution roundtable discussion on material gathered for auto theft investigations and how they can work together to better understand, identify trends and address the auto theft problem.  

Minnesota’s auto theft prevention campaign reaches statewide and represents a collaboration of the Commerce Fraud Bureau with local law enforcement to engage Minnesota car owners and drivers to join in efforts to prevent auto theft with a simple – but critically important – step to prevent auto theft: Take Your Keys ALWAYS. According to law enforcement, the majority of auto thefts involve vehicles with the keys being left inside by the drivers. Increased auto thefts contribute to rising premiums for auto insurance policies. 

Resources: 

• More information about the IAATI North Central Regional annual training conference 
• More info about the Commerce Enforcement Division, Commerce Fraud Bureau and Auto Theft Prevention Program  

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mo Schriner, Communications Director
Minnesota Department of Commerce
mo.schriner@state.mn.us