The Raymond W. Dreher Award was created in 1984 as IAATI’s most prestigious award and is presented in memory of the late Lt. Ray Dreher of the Missouri Highway Patrol, and IAATI’s 16th President. While not necessarily a yearly award, this is given as recognition for IAATI’s most active and dedicated members who have distinguished themselves by service to the Association. It is only awarded to those giving of themselves far and above what is expected and required of membership. There are no other requirements for the award, except hard work and dedication to IAATI with an international focus.

This year IAATI was proud to announce the Ray Dreher Award winner was Pat Clancy. Pat spent 15 years in law enforcement. He began his career as a military policeman with the US Army’s 515 Military Police Company and a Provost Marshall Investigator. After the military, Pat began working at the Medford, Massachusetts Police Department. While at the Medford PD, Pat received a promotion to Sgt. and was a student at Northwestern University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Law Enforcement. During his law enforcement career, Pat estimates that he recovered fewer than a dozen stolen vehicles. Now, 32 years later, upon his retirement from Lojack this past September, he can stand proud to have assisted law enforcement through the use of LoJack technology with the recovery of over 400,000 stolen motor vehicles worth well over 6 billion dollars resulting in the thousands of arrests.

This amazing turn of events started when Pat was with the Medford PD and met up with Bill Reagan, the Police Commissioner at the time. Bill was also an inventor, who had a vision to help law enforcement officers track stolen motor vehicles. He patented his invention and called it LoJack. Bill convinced Pat to take a one year leave of absence from the police department to assist him in developing the LoJack Company. Pat took that year’s leave of absence and never went back.

In early 1986 Lojack was granted permission by the FCC to begin a pilot program in Massachusetts. The testing proved successful, and Pat began training approximately 100 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts for a June kick-off for the sale of LoJack devices to the public. Pat and his boss, Peter Connor (Vice President of government affairs), worked tirelessly to educate and equip those agencies. Pat spoke to thousands of law enforcement officers and troopers throughout the country.

And then came the 1986 IAATI Seminar held in Hartford, Connecticut. One of the people that Pat had talked to was Herbie Burr, a past President of the Northeast Chapter of IAATI. Herbie invited Pat to be a vendor at the Seminar and Pat accepted the offer. Pat set up his table outside the main classroom, and during that week he met nearly all of the attendees. Pat took any of the attendees who wished to, on a live tracking demonstration around the State Capital. This writer was actually one of those people who took that eye opening ride.

For Pat, the impact of that first IAATI Seminar was huge as he saw an organization that brought together law enforcement, insurance companies, vehicle manufactures, and anyone interested in the ever growing problem of vehicle theft.  

IAATI has no better friend than Pat Clancy. He has been a steadfast supporter of IAATI and its goals. There were lean years for sure when budgets were restricted, but Pat never wavered in his support and devotion to IAATI. At every seminar since, there have been Lojack law enforcement liaisons (LEL’s) ready to help in any way necessary. We can’t forget to mention LoJack’s presence in our vendor / exhibit hall at nearly every Seminar as far back as anyone can remember. As IAATI grew into a stronger veritable international organization, Pat was there with LoJack supporting us. Five of LoJack’s LEL’s have been Past Presidents of IAATI.

This past September Pat retired from Lojack after 32 years.  His dedication to IAATI and Lojack will be missed by us all.  Pat will be spending more quality time with his family and maybe even a little golf!  We thank you Pat for being our partner in the battle against vehicle theft, and our friend.  Good luck in your retirement.

Unfortunately Pat was unable to attend this year’s Seminar in Pittsburgh t accept the award. Past President Tommy Hansen made a formal announcement at the seminar banquet and DJ Thompson accepted on Pat’s behalf. But on August 28, Past President Kevin McHugh and NERC Past President DJ Thompson presented Pat with the award.

Kevin McHugh (L) and DJ Thompson (R) presenting Pat Clancy (C) with the Dreher Award on August 28.