Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority

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Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority The official page of the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA), a division of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) has fostered a statewide cooperative network of law enforcement groups, prosecutors, insurance industry representatives, local tax assessor-collectors, and concerned citizens to combat vehicle theft and burglary through enforcement, prevention, public information, and education initiatives. In addition to providing guidance and oversight, MVCPA awards financial grants to agencies, organizations, and concerned parties in an effort to raise public awareness of vehicle theft and burglary and implement education and prevention initiatives. Established by the 72nd Texas Legislature in 1991, the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA) became the first statewide effort to reduce auto theft. The 80th Legislature amended the ATPA mission in House Bill 1887 to also emphasize reducing vehicle burglaries. The resulting agency, the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA), is charged with assessing automobile burglary, theft, and economic theft (burglary or theft committed for financial gain) in Texas, analyzing the methods and providing financial support to combat the problems. In 2009, the ABTPA became part of the newly established Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The name was changed to Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority in 2019.

KATY, Texas — A Katy-area couple faces criminal charges in connection with an alleged vehicle theft operation involving ...
10/14/2026

KATY, Texas — A Katy-area couple faces criminal charges in connection with an alleged vehicle theft operation involving more than $3 million in luxury vehicles diverted during commercial transport.

According to court records, Dheyaa Abd and his wife, Iman Al Saedi, are accused of participating in a scheme that targeted a computer database used to coordinate vehicle shipments across the country.

Investigators allege the couple and two additional suspects gained unauthorized access to the shipping system and changed vehicle delivery locations, allowing the group to intercept high-end vehicles before they reached their intended destinations.

Houston police searched a mechanic shop operated by Abd near Fondren and Richmond on Oct. 7. The couple appeared in court Oct. 9, where details of the alleged operation were presented.

Authorities indicated additional arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

The case highlights a growing concern in vehicle crime: Criminal operations targeting not only vehicles themselves but also the technology and transportation systems used to move them.

Source: ABC13 Houston.

10/09/2026

Think finding stolen cars is the whole job? Think again.

For auto theft investigators, there's a lot more to the workday than recovering stolen vehicles.

Our MVCPA grant-funded Harris County Auto Theft Task Force gives us a look at what a day on the job can involve.

🎥 Take a ride along. This isn't your typical 9-to-5.

🎥 Courtesy of: Harris County Sheriff's Office

A 1969 Chevrolet C10 pickup reported stolen in 2024 has been recovered by the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office Auto Crim...
10/08/2026

A 1969 Chevrolet C10 pickup reported stolen in 2024 has been recovered by the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office Auto Crime Unit.

Investigators located the classic truck at a privately owned body shop in Maverick County. After being informed of the vehicle’s stolen status, the shop owner voluntarily turned it over to authorities.

The pickup is now in law enforcement custody and is expected to be returned to its rightful owner once the required investigative and legal procedures are complete.

The recovery highlights the continued efforts of the MVCPA grant-funded Maverick County Sheriff’s Office Auto Crime Unit to investigate vehicle theft and recover stolen property.

Maverick County Sheriff's Office Auto Crimes Task Force

MVCPA joined the grant-funded North Texas Auto Theft Task Force for National Night Out—talking auto theft, vehicle crime...
10/07/2026

MVCPA joined the grant-funded North Texas Auto Theft Task Force for National Night Out—talking auto theft, vehicle crime and ways to protect what you drive.

There was food. Live music. Animals. A DJ. A whole lot of community.

And apparently…double Dutch. 👀

You’ll have to watch the reel for that one.

A great night getting out into the community and putting auto theft prevention in front of the people we serve.

North Texas Auto Theft Task Force

10/06/2026

Truck parts are expensive. Apparently, some people have found a workaround.

Tailgates and taillights can be valuable targets for thieves. And if they’re interested in more than the parts, there’s another spot on your truck you probably don’t think much about.

Sgt. Hicks with the Houston Auto Crimes Task Force does.

In this quick PSA, he shows a few simple ways to add another layer of protection to your truck — including one under the dash that a lot of owners may have never considered.

🎥 Watch the reel. Then go take a look at your truck.

A few extra steps now could save you a much bigger headache later.

Houston Police Department

WHAT DO AUTO CRIMES INVESTIGATORS ACTUALLY LOOK FOR? Sometimes it’s a stolen vehicle. Sometimes it’s a trailer, a piece ...
10/01/2026

WHAT DO AUTO CRIMES INVESTIGATORS ACTUALLY LOOK FOR?

Sometimes it’s a stolen vehicle. Sometimes it’s a trailer, a piece of equipment, or a catalytic converter. And sometimes what looks completely ordinary deserves a closer look.

During a recent three-day multi-agency auto crimes operation, investigators worked across Maverick, Zavala, and Val Verde Counties, conducting business inspections and examining vehicles, RVs, trailers, ATVs, boats, equipment, and other property.

The operation also included education and enforcement on catalytic-converter theft, including Texas requirements for purchasing, selling, transferring, and recordkeeping of catalytic converters.

Participating agencies included the MVCPA grant-funded Maverick County Sheriff's Office Auto Crimes Task Force , Zavala County Auto Crimes Unit, and Eagle Pass Auto Theft Task Force, along with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and Texas DPS Criminal Investigations Division (CID).

And those inspections paid off: investigators recovered two stolen U-Haul car dollies—one reported stolen from San Antonio and another from Houston.

Auto theft is bigger than a stolen car. Identifying stolen property takes trained investigators, information sharing, and agencies willing to work across jurisdictional lines.

Swipe through the carousel for a look at what investigators checked—and what they found.

09/29/2026

FARMERS & RANCHERS: This one’s for you.

You might be making a thief’s job easier without even realizing it.

And with the amount of money sitting in your pasture, barn or equipment yard… this is one PSA worth 60 seconds.

Watch it. Then go check your equipment.

Know a farmer who needs to see this? Send it to them.

A vehicle stolen years ago was recovered without its drivetrain. Investigators recently found part of it again—this time...
09/28/2026

A vehicle stolen years ago was recovered without its drivetrain. Investigators recently found part of it again—this time under the hood of another vehicle.

The MVCPA grant-funded East Texas Auto Theft Task Force recently assisted the Bureau of Alcohol, To***co, Fi****ms and Explosives (ATF) with an investigation involving a search warrant at an automotive shop in Gladewater.

During the investigation, task force investigators examined multiple vehicles and engines located inside the shop. The vehicles, which included several older-model Chevrolet Caprices, were checked by vehicle identification number and were not reported stolen.

Investigators also examined two Chevrolet LS-series engines located inside the shop. Identification numbers on the engines were checked and both were determined to have been reported stolen from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Investigators then examined a red 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic equipped with a newer 6.2-liter Chevrolet LS engine. The engine identification number was traced to a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro reported stolen to the Mesquite Police Department in April 2018.

According to investigative records, the Camaro was recovered later that month without its drivetrain.

The two stolen engines and the 1975 Chevrolet Caprice containing the engine associated with the stolen Camaro were seized during the investigation.

The case highlights why auto theft investigations can extend beyond recovering a stolen vehicle.

Smith CountySmith County Sheriff's OfficeeCity of Tyler Police DepartmentoHenderson County Sheriff's Office Sheriff's Department
Texas Department of Public Safety

PLOT TWIST: IT WASN’T JUST THE CAR.A recovery. An arrest. Another case. Another crime. Another agency brought into the i...
09/24/2026

PLOT TWIST: IT WASN’T JUST THE CAR.

A recovery. An arrest. Another case. Another crime. Another agency brought into the investigation.

Across Texas, MVCPA-funded task forces work every day to recover stolen property, identify offenders, follow intelligence, support other agencies and uncover the crimes connected to motor vehicle theft.

So what did that work look like in FY2025?

We'll let the numbers do the talking. ➡️

Swipe through for a look at the impact of MVCPA-funded task forces across Texas.

TASKFORCE TUESDAY | Austin Police Department Auto Burglary & TheftAustin has grown. A lot.While the city’s population ha...
09/22/2026

TASKFORCE TUESDAY | Austin Police Department Auto Burglary & Theft

Austin has grown. A lot.

While the city’s population has doubled, the number of detectives working auto theft cases has remained the same. Yet the APD Auto Burglary & Theft team continues to cover the entire City of Austin — working cases effectively, efficiently and, most importantly, with compassion and determination.

And there’s some serious experience behind those cases. One APD Auto Theft detective has been a steady presence in the unit for 18 years.

APD has partnered with the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority since the late 1990s. Through the MVCPA-funded Auto Burglary and Theft Interdiction Project, the team combines investigations with proactive enforcement, crime analysis, prevention, and public outreach.

Their work reaches well beyond a stolen vehicle report. Detectives investigate vehicle burglaries, organized vehicle crime, VIN switching and cloning, chop shops, illegal parts operations, and other theft-for-profit schemes.

And that work is making an impact. Austin reported a 36.44% decrease in auto theft from 2023 to 2025, with thefts reaching their lowest levels since 2018–2019.

Small team. Big city. A lot of ground to cover.

This Taskforce Tuesday, we recognize the APD Auto Burglary & Theft team for the experience, persistence and dedication they bring to protecting vehicles — and the people behind them — across Austin.

Austin Police Department

Address

4000 Jackson Avenue
Austin, TX
78731

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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