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ALBANY--The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has announced that more than $5 million has been awarded to 29 law enforcement agencies in 16 counties throughout New York State to support local programs to combat motor vehicle theft and prevent insurance fraud.
The grants, which were awarded through a competitive process, are designed to assist counties that have not fully benefited from the overall reduction in motor vehicle theft over the past decade.
New York State continues to make remarkable progress in reducing motor vehicle theft. According to FBI statistics, motor vehicle thefts in New York State have declined by 68 percent since 1994. New York City, which experienced the highest number of motor vehicle thefts, has seen a decline of 78% over the last 11 years.
In 2004, the New York State Insurance Department reported that the number of suspected fraudulent motor vehicle insurance claims decreased by 14%, with the number of reported incidents dropping from 24,282 in 2003 to 19,580. In addition, because of the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of local law enforcement agencies, no-fault insurance reports -- which account for 73% of all suspected insurance fraud claims throughout the state, decreased by 17, with reported incidents dropping from 17,253 in 2003 to 14,328 in 2004.
Between 2003 and 2004, motor vehicle theft incidents in New York State decreased by 9.8, with 4,400 fewer motor vehicle thefts reported. This decrease surpassed the national trend in motor vehicle theft which only decreased 2.1%.
In addition, from Dec. 31, 2002 to June 30, 2004 the average personal injury claim dropped from $8,489 to $6,229, and now New Yorkers are paying less for car insurance. On Dec. 31, 2002 approximately 86 cents of every dollar paid for car insurance was going to pay for insurance claims. By June 30, 2004, only about 61 cents of every dollar paid was applied to insurance claims. And because rates for drivers in the state's assigned risk plan dropped by 2 percent in August 2004, 10 major insurance carriers decreased their rates by 3 to 7 percent between 2004 and 2005.
The $5.3 million in grants will be used to assist local law enforcement with a number of initiatives including enhanced enforcement and prosecution, undercover sting operations and specialized training for prosecutors and police officers. All recipients will also develop and participate in a collaborative, countywide strategy to reduce motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud within their respective communities.
The twenty-nine recipients of Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention grants include:
Albany County - $80,000
Albany Police Department - $80,000
Erie County - $332,000
Erie County District Attorney - $185,000
Buffalo Police Department - $97,000
Town of Cheektowaga Police Department - $50,000
Monroe County - $322,000
Monroe County District Attorney - $152,000
Monroe County Sheriff's Office - $50,000
Rochester Police Department - $120,000
Nassau County - $303,000
Nassau County District Attorney - $183,000
Nassau County Police Department - $90,000
Village of Hempstead Police Department - $30,000
Niagara County - $162,800
Niagara County District Attorney - $142,800
Niagara County Sheriff's Department - $20,000
Onondaga County - $111,000
Onondaga County District Attorney - $61,000
Syracuse Police Department - $50,000
Rensselaer County - $100,000
Rensselaer County District Attorney - $100,000
Saratoga County - $62,000
Saratoga County District Attorney - $62,000
Schenectady County - $110,000
Schenectady County District Attorney - $110,000
Suffolk County - $420,000
Suffolk County District Attorney - $320,000
Suffolk County Police Department - $100,000
Westchester County - $578,500
Westchester County District Attorney - $462,500
Yonkers Police Department - $116,000
New York City - $2,548,000
Bronx County District Attorney - $300,000
Kings County District Attorney - $300,000
New York County District Attorney - $300,000
Queens County District Attorney - $624,000
Richmond County District Attorney - $110,000
New York City Police Department - $914,000
Statewide Training Agencies - $241,700
New York State Anti-Auto Theft and Fraud Association - $140,000
The New York Anti-Auto Theft and Fraud Association will continue to provide informative and effective training seminars on motor vehicle theft prevention and insurance fraud reduction efforts to law enforcement personnel on a statewide basis.
New York State Prosecutors' Training Institute - $101,700
The New York State Prosecutors' Training Institute will continue to provide effective training and prosecutorial programs on motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud to prosecutors and law enforcement personnel throughout New York State. 1-13-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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