ARIZONA AUTOMOBILE
THEFT AUTHORITY
March/April 2004 Newsletter

The Arizona Automobile Theft
Authority’s Second Annual
Summit on Vehicle Theft –
February 5-6, 2004
On February 5-6, 2004, the AATA hosted its
Second Annual Summit on Vehicle Theft, in
conjunction with the Arizona Auto Theft
Investigators Association (AATIA), at the
Scottsdale Radisson Hotel. The two-day
Summit was attended by approximately 175
attendees from forty (40) different law
enforcement, criminal justice, insurance and
state agencies throughout Arizona. Also in
attendance were out of state presenters and
special guests from California, Colorado,
Florida, Illinois, New York, and North
Carolina.

The AATA was honored to have several
dignitaries and special guest speakers in
attendance including Representative Ted
Carpenter, Arizona House of Representatives
(District 6), Ms. Diane Carlson-Reiss,
Field Representative for Congressman J.D.
Hayworth, Chief Dennis Donna, Mesa
Police Department, Director Dennis Garrett,
AZ Department of Public Safety, Chief
Harold Hurtt, Phoenix Police Department,
Sheriff Ralph Ogden, Yuma County Sheriff ’s
Office, Chief Daniel Schatz, Prescott Valley
Police Department, Chief Ralph Tranter,
Tempe Police Department, Mr. Ralph
Lumpkin, Area 3 Director with the National
Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Mr. Mark
Stowell, also of the NICB, and Mr. Mario
Crosswell of OCRA (Oficina Coordinadora
de Riesgos Asegurados). Mr. Lumpkin and
Mr. Stowell provided opening remarks and
valuable information to Summit attendees
on current auto theft trends in Arizona, the
Nation and the World.

The AATA also wishes to thank Ms.
Marybeth Barr, Ms. Janet Shill, Ms. Nancy
Temporado, and Ms. Vanessa Moreno for
their assistance with Summit preparation
and attendee registration.

Volunteers Janet Shill, Nancy Temporado, and Marybeth Barr
assist with Summit registration.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

AATA Board Chairman, Michael T. Payne addresses Summit
attendees

The Summit included training on vehicle
theft related issues along with an AATA
Board of Directors meeting, presentations
by several grant agencies on best practice
approaches to vehicle theft enforcement and
prevention, an awards luncheon, and an
AATA 2004/2005 grant program workshop.
Several exhibitors attended to display and
distribute product information to Summit
attendees.

The AATA also wishes to thank Farmers
Insurance Group, Arizona Auto Theft
Investigators Association, LoJack Corporation, Safelite Auto Glass, Sheetwise
Printing and Promotionals, Skyview Satellite
Networks, and Winner International for
their donation of raffle items and materials
for Summit attendees.

• 2nd Annual Summit on Vehicle Theft
• Farewell to AATA Board Member,
Chief Harold L. Hurtt, Phoenix
Police Department
Mr. Mark Stowell, NICB and Ms. Diane Carlson-Reiss, representative for Congressman J.D. Hayworth provide opening
remarks.

The Summit was made possible by support
from Allstate Insurance Company, State
Farm Insurance Company, Mark-N-Gard,
Inc., CARFAX Inc., Manheim Auctions,
Associated Highway Patrolmen of Arizona,
Locator Technologies, and OCRA.

• New AATA Board Members, Sergeant
Joe Brosius, Tempe Police
Department, Public Member and
Robert Carter Olson, Pinal County
Attorney
• Meet the AATA Board of Directors –
Spotlight on Mr. Dean C. Butler
• Police Bait Vehicle Program

AATA Recognizes 2003 Award Recipients
The AATA’s outstanding law enforcement, government and private sector partners were honored at an awards ceremony luncheon as part of the 2nd Annual Summit on Vehicle Theft. The
award recipients have all demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and innovative approaches to combating auto theft in the State of Arizona.

The award recipients the AATA proudly recognizes include:

Officer Steve Jones, Mesa Police Department, 2003 Patrol
Officer of the Year.

Deputy Jacob Nickell, Pima County Sheriff’s Department,
2003 Patrol Officer of the Year.

Officer Steve Norlin, Az. Department of Public Safety, 2003
Patrol Officer of the Year.

Ms. Susan Luder, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, 2003
Prosecutor of the Year.

Ms. Christi Billquist, State Farm Insurance Company, 2003
Special Investigator of the Year.

Detective John Bier, Tempe Police Department, 2003 Task
Force Officer of the Year.

Officer Jennifer Miller, Prescott Valley Police Department, 2003
Crime Prevention Specialist of the Year.

Officer Michael Schuh, Oro Valley Police Department, 2003
Watch Your Car Special Recognition of the Year.

Ms. Pat Garner, 2003 Watch Your Car Special Recognition of
the Year.

Mr. John Chesbro, 2003 Watch Your Car Special Recognition
of the Year.

Mr. Jeff Newman, 2003 Watch Your Car Special Recognition
of the Year.

Ms. Suzy Seibert, 2003 Watch Your Car Special Recognition of
the Year.

Mr. Art Myer, 2003 AATA Employee of the Year.

Mesa Police Department’s Auto Theft Unit, 2003 Law
Enforcement Unit of the Year.

Farewell to
Chief Harold L. Hurtt
Chief Harold Hurtt, longtime AATA Board
of Directors Member is resigning his post as
Phoenix Police Chief after six years of service. Chief Hurtt is headed to Texas where he
has accepted the Chief of Police position
with the City of Houston. Chief Hurtt has
been a valuable member of the AATA Board
since 1998. Thank you to Chief Hurtt for
his dedicated service to the AATA Board of
Directors – we wish him the best of luck
with his new position.

Sergeant Joe Brosius, Tempe
Police Department, appointed
to AATA Board of Directors
The Arizona Automobile Theft Authority is
pleased to announce that Governor
Napolitano appointed Sergeant Joe Brosius,
Tempe Police Department, to the AATA
Board of Directors on January 19, 2004.
Sergeant Brosius occupies the second public
member position
on the AATA
Board. He brings
over thirty years of
law enforcement
experience, with
seventeen of those
years in the area of
vehicle theft invesSergeant Joe Brosius, Tempe
tigation.
Police Department.

Prescott Valley Police Department’s Support Services Division,
2003 Public Awareness & Community Education Unit of the Year.

Allstate Insurance Company, 2003 Outstanding Private Sector
Partner of the Year.

1-888-NO THIEF
(1-888-668-4433)
ARIZONA AUTOMOBILE THEFT AUTHORITY

Robert Carter Olson, Pinal
County Attorney, appointed to
AATA Board of Directors
The Arizona Automobile Theft Authority is
pleased to announce the appointment of Mr.
Robert Carter Olson, Pinal County
Attorney to the AATA Board of Directors.
Governor Napolitano made Mr. Olson’s
appointment on February 27, 2004. Mr.
Olson occupies the second County Attorney
position on the AATA Board, representing a
county with a population of five hundred
thousand or less. Mr. Olson has served as the
Pinal County Attorney since 1996. His
office was one of the first counties to
embrace the concept of Vertical Prosecution
of vehicle theft cases and has been extremely
supportive of the AATA’s Vertical
Prosecution Grant Program since its inception in 2000.

Meet the Arizona Automobile
Theft Authority Board of
Directors – Dean C. Butler,
Farmers Insurance Group
Mr. Dean Butler has been a member of the
AATA Board of Directors since January 5,
2001. He occupies one of two insurance
industry positions on the Board, appointed
by the Governor of Arizona.
Mr. Butler is the Marketing Support
Manager with the Farmers Insurance
Phoenix Service Center and has over 25
years of experience in the insurance industry.
He is currently serving as the Chairman of
the AATA’s Public Awareness Subcommittee.
Thank you, Mr.
Butler for your continued support and
dedication to the
AATA as we continue our efforts in
combating vehicle
theft in the State of
Arizona.

Mr. Dean C. Butler, Farmers
Insurance Group

ARIZONA AUTOMOBILE
THEFT AUTHORITY
www.azwatchyourcar.com

Taking Car Thieves For A Ride
In October 2002, the AATA began issuing
grant funds to Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix,
Scottsdale and Tempe Police Departments to
develop Bait Vehicle Programs within their
jurisdictions. Features of the bait car
include: a silent alarm to police dispatch
upon entry of or movement of the vehicle, a
Global Positioning System (GPS) to track
the car, audio and video recording of the
person(s) inside the car, a remote kill switch
to turn off the car, and remote door locks.
The vehicle can be shut down at the discretion of law enforcement, eliminating the
potential of police pursuits.
The idea is simple – equip a fleet of police
bait cars with technology using computers,
satellites and tracking devices, which notifies
police when the vehicle has been entered.
The vehicles are deployed in high auto theft
target areas then wait for a signal to be transmitted notifying police so they can catch the
thieves in the act. Similar programs in
Minneapolis and other cities have resulted in

Janet Napolitano
Governor
AATA Board
Chairman
Mr. Michael Payne
State Farm Insurance Company
Vice Chairman
Sheriff Ralph E. Ogden
Yuma County Sheriff
Sheriff Joseph Arpaio
Maricopa County Sheriff
Sergeant Joe Brosius
Tempe Police Department
Mr. Dean C. Butler
Farmers Insurance Group
Director Dennis Garrett
Department of Public Safety
Chief Sherry Kiyler
Chandler Police Department
Robert Carter Olson
Pinal County Attorney

significant decreases in auto theft rates. Last
year, additional grants were awarded to the
Gilbert, Glendale, Kingman, Peoria, Surprise,
and Tucson police departments to develop
their own Bait Car Programs.

Vehicle Program off the ground. These three
individuals, with the assistance of their
agencies and staff have demonstrated
tremendous support and dedication to this
valuable program.

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE NICB
AND THE FOLLOWING INSURANCE
COMPANIES THAT HAVE DONATED
VEHICLES FOR THIS PROGRAM:

2004 AATA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING SCHEDULE

Allstate • American Family • Chubb
Country Mutual • Farmers • Geico
Infinity • Liberty Mutual • Progressive
State Farm • Titan • USAA

To date, at least 56 people have been
arrested statewide on charges of stealing
or attempting to steal a vehicle.
Thank you to Sergeant Joe Brosius, Tempe
Police Department, Sergeant Tom Macari,
Scottsdale Police Department, and Sergeant
Dave Mauser, Mesa Police Department for
their leadership in getting Arizona’s Bait

Ms. Ellen Poole
Public Member
The Honorable Richard M. Romley
Maricopa County Attorney
Chief Daniel G. Sharp
Oro Valley Police Department
Director Stacey K. Stanton
Department of Transportation
Motor Vehicle Division

AATA Staff
Mikel Longman
Executive Director
Paul Boelhauf
Administrative Services Officer
Ann Armstrong
Public Information Officer
Arthur Myer
Fiscal Services Specialist
John Rares Almasan
Program and Project Specialist

April 16, 2004
AATA Grant Programs
June 25, 2004
Review of Agency Operational Plan
August 20, 2004
October 8, 2004
Audit Report
December 10, 2004
1. Election of Board Officers
2. Appointment of Board Subcommittee
Assignments
3. Legislative Issues
All meetings begin at 10:00 AM at the Arizona
Automobile Theft Authority. Above dates and agenda
items are subject to change up to 24 hours in advance
of the meeting. All meetings are posted in compliance
with §A.R.S. 38-431.02.

Arizona Automobile Theft Authority
1400 W. Washington Street, Suite 270
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
TEL (602) 364-2886
FAX (602) 364-2897
Email: aata@aata.state.az.us
1-888-668-4433

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