Sponsored by Maxim Forensic Locksmiths

2013 marks only the second year that the President’s Award was offered as a category for submission, designed to recognise any investigation, program or initiative designed to detect, prevent or investigate auto crime.

The judging panel of Ms Candice Gauci of sponsor Maxim Forensic Locksmith Services, former IAATI President Craig Petterd and immediate Past President Dennis Connor scored each submission, with the final decision ratified by Australian Branch President Mark Bennedick. 

This year’s winner was announced by Maxim Forensic Locksmith Services representative Ms Candice Gauci as the ‘Stop Car Theft Program’, a joint initiative between South Australia Police and the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia to address the rising incidence of motor vehicle crime in South Australia. The ‘Stop Car Theft Program’ is a multi-faceted approach to dealing with auto crime in that it utilises the deployment of ‘target’ vehicles into known hot spots for motor vehicle crime, to detect and apprehend key suspects, as well as the development of training and education programmes for those responsible for investigating auto crime.

The ‘Stop Car Theft Program’ is an admirable demonstration of a successful long term stakeholder partnership that is achieving fantastic results in the prevention, detection and investigation of auto
crime.