Winner: Region 3 Vehicle Theft Task Force, Victoria Police.

The winner of the 2010 Outstanding Achievement Award this year is a police task force which is responsible for an area of 65000 square kilometres.  The area they are responsible for has a larger than average number of Motor vehicle repair and wrecking businesses operating and statistically over the years it has shown to have a high incidence of vehicle related crime.

This team is made up of one detective sergeant, two detective senior constables, two uniform personnel and an analyst. It has the capability to conduct quick and pointed operations to disrupt organized vehicle crime. However due to the small size of the unit a range of initiatives have been implemented over the last couple of years to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.

Some of the initiatives are -

• Routine inspections of Motor Vehicle Repairers and wreckers.
• The use of side scanning sonar in major metropolitan rivers to detect dumped motor vehicles and common dumping areas.
• Working with council to ensure a list of abandoned vehicles collected is sent to the task force for identification purposes.
• The use of a ‘Bait Car’
• The recent trial of an Automated Number Plate Recognition System.
• The review of CCTV surveillance footage
• Active campaigns for legislative changes to reflect those already implemented in NSW and Western Australia.

Overall this task force has been innovative and focused on tackling serious vehicle crime, its associated fraud and the use of vehicles in crime. As a result vehicle theft in this area has decreased by 43%.

L - R:  Detective Senior Constable Laurie Noonan and Acting Sergeant Rob Pama from the Region 3 Vehicle Theft Task Force, Victoria Police.