THE WRC-IAATI EXECUTIVE BOARD ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

Year Name
2017 Riverside (County) AutoTheft Interdiction Detail (RAID)
2014 California Attorney General Financial Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit
2013 Orange County Auto Theft TaskForce (OCATT)
2012 Colorado Auto Theft Preventation Agency (CATPA)

WRC-IAATI EXECUTIVE BOARD ACHIEVEMENT OF EXCELLENCE AWARD The award is intended to honor a unit, team or organization possessing the qualifications of an active member of WRC-IAATI and who has distinguished themselves in a multi-disciplined motor vehicle crimes investigation or through their unparalleled support in combating motor vehicle crimes through public education efforts or financial support of an organization undertaking such investigations. Criteria for nominations:

  1. Eligible recipients will be:
    1. Auto Theft Task Force / Unit or Team
    2. Auto Theft Prevention Authority
    3. Insurance Special Investigation Unit
    4. District or Attorney General’s Office
  2. Recipients must be an active member of the state auto theft chapter and the WRC-IAATI
  3. The nominated investigation or documented support must generally be within the year of the award however multi-year investigations will be considered

The Award:

  1. Will consist of a plaque with the organizational winner’s name, the year and investigation’s designation
  2. A $500 stipend will be made available to the winner to defray costs associated with attending the conference to receive the award. Contact the WRC-IAATI Treasurer Rick Greenwood for information on the requirement to qualify for the stipend.

The recipient will be determined by a committee comprised of Western Regional Chapter Executive Board members. Please submit nominations to 2017-2018 WRC-IAATI President Mick O’Neill and Treasurer Rick Greenwood by August 16, 2017. Please submit a 1 page description of the nomination. The cut-off date for the nominated activity is between June 15, 2017 and June 15, 2018. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Mick O’Neill or Rick Greenwood.

The WRC-IAATI Excellence Award

The 2017 Award was presented at the January 2018 Western States Auto Theft Investigators, Southern Chapter Training Meeting / Luncheon in Cerritos on January 18, 2018. The 2017 WRC-IAATI Executive Board Achievement of Excellence Award was presented to the Riverside (County) AutoTheft Interdiction Detail (RAID). 2017-2018 WRC IAATI President Dennis Frias presented the award to Riverside (County) AutoTheft Interdiction Detail (RAID) Sergeant Sean Brown and current members of RAID).

The WRC-IAATI Excellence Award
The WRC-IAATI Excellence Award

The 2014 Award was presented at the January 2015 Western States Auto Theft Investigators, Southern Chapter Training Meeting / Luncheon in Cerritos on January 15, 2015. The 2014 WRC-IAATI Executive Board Achievement of Excellence Award was presented to the California Attorney General Financial Fraud and Special Prosecutions Unit. WRC IAATI 1st Vice President Dennis Frias presented the award to Los Angeles Distict California Deputy Attorney General Edward Skelly, who coincidently was one of the guest speakers at the training meeting giving a presentation of the complex conspiracy case that led to the award. wrc award pic4The 2013 Award was presented at the 2013 Arizona Auto Theft Investigators Association (AATIA) Training Seminar in Laughlin, NV on September 12, 2013. The 2013 WRC-IAATI Executive Board Achievement of Excellence Award was presented to the Orange County (CA) Auto Theft TaskForce (OCATT) representatives Task Force Commander Lieutenant Brian Lee, Sergeant Bob Barkley, and Lead Case Investigator Kraig Palmer. As the result of lead investigator Kraig Palmer’s investigation into the theft of rental cars obtained by fraudulent credit card information, OCATT detectives located and recovered 42 vehicles with an estimated value of over $1,200,000, and 27 suspects were arrested. Additionally, two stolen guns were recovered and numerous charges were added for possession of narcotics. Several probation searches and search warrants were also conducted. During the execution of one of the probation searches, OCATT detectives discovered an advanced credit card manufacturing operation and recovered several thousand dollars in credit card manufacturing equipment and software. OCATT detectives also recovered over 100 credit card account profiles used for credit card theft. After the primary suspect’s arrest, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office filed 35 felony counts against her. The 2012 Award was presented at the 2012 Western States Auto Theft Investigators (WSATI) Training Seminar in South Lake Tahoe, NV on October 3, 2012. The 2012 WRC-IAATI Executive Board Achievement of Excellence Award was presented to the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) Executive Board represented by Grant Manager Dianna Pratt Wilson and board member Tanya Rumer. CATPA has provided excellent leadership and supervision in granting over $4 million dollars in grants to auto theft task forces, public education endeavors and training.