Montgomery for County Attorney: Auto Theft Rate Contiues Dramatic Drop in 2009

                                              

                                                                                                       

AUTO THEFT RATE CONTINUES DECLINE IN 2009

Montgomery credits teamwork between prosecutors and Valley law enforcement for significant drop

            (Phoenix, AZ)   The National Insurance Crime Bureau has reported that the Phoenix Metro Area showed a dramatic decrease in the rate of auto thefts nationwide from having the 19^th worst rate in the nation for 2008 to 40th in 2009.  This represents an overall drop from having the 4th highest auto theft rate just four years ago.

Bill Montgomery, who led the Auto Theft Bureau of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office throughout the 2009 reporting period, complemented his staff and law enforcement agencies whose partnership resulted in the dramatic results.  “I have to credit the hardworking prosecutors, paralegals, and support staff of the Auto Theft Bureau for these remarkable results.  Their dedication to duty and hard work is the reason the Phoenix Metro area has seen such positive results.  It is amazing to see the progress we have made from being number 1 in 2001 to number 40 now.” 

Montgomery credited the partnership his Bureau formed with law enforcement as a significant contributing factor, “We strove to ensure that all law enforcement agencies, as well as the Auto Theft Task Force, saw us as partners in the collective effort to hold auto thieves accountable.  The citizens of Maricopa County must realize that an auto theft is not an isolated crime.  Cars are usually stolen to facilitate other crimes such as human and drug smuggling.”  Montgomery went on to add that he pledges to bring the same teamwork approach to other areas of crime in Maricopa County as part of his approach to leading the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.