Motor vehicle theft is the costliest property crime in the United States equaling billions of dollars in losses each year. Despite law enforcement success in decreasing the rate of motor vehicle theft in recent years, the actual number of thefts has increased. It is vital for law enforcement agencies to know who is committing motor vehicle theft and where vehicles are being stolen. This study answers these questions by examining offender demographic characteristics and the location types most targeted for motor vehicle theft in Texas from 2001 to 2005. The state of Texas was chosen because Texas has continually been ranked second in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report for the number of reported incidents of motor vehicle theft in the United States.

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1999. / This investigation entails a study of motor vehicle theft and hijacking in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape for the period of 1 January till 31 December 1995. The present study is empirically founded and for this purpose an information schedule has been implemented to capture data from police case dossiers for statistical analysis and description. Data forthcoming from a previous Honours study in the Westem-Cape have also been incorporated for comparison purposes. The sample consists of 1331 cases of motor vehicle theft and hijacking in KwaZulu-Natal, while 372 cases in Western Cape were included in this investigation. Key findings emanating from this investigation are as follows: (1) White male victims in the age category 31-35 years were the most victimised through motor vehicle theft and hijacking in both Provinces. (2) The profile of the average offender of motor vehicle theft and hijacking comprises an unemployed African male person between 21-40 years. (3) The temporal frequency indicates that most people in KwaZulu-Natal were victimised during March, August and October, while October, September and May caused the most suffering for victims in the Western Cape. Thursdays and specifically early mornings in KwaZulu-Natal seems to be the most popular for motor vehicle theft and hijacking. In the Western Cape this tendency peaked in the early mornings of Fridays. (4) Toyota followed by Mazda, Nissan / Datsun and Ford sedan vehicles were the most popular objects for motor thieves and hijackers. The following recommendation have been made: (1) Greater community involvement in the prevention of these types of crime has become inevitable. In this regard empowerment of local communities through Community Police Forums could play an important role. Such involvement could stimulate greater crime awareness among the community. Shared responsibility as far as the security of people and their property is concerned, could positively influence successful order maintenance. (2) Security measures which including the installation of anti-theft devices should be prioritised by the public. (3) Specialised Vehicle Theft Units should, in the light of the low percentage motor vehicle theft cases referred to courts, be more efficient - considering the availability of modern technology. (4) Police involvement in crime syndicates should receive serious attention and, were applicable, be totally eliminated (5) Progress without research is futile. Greater liaison between the police and tertiary institutions (Criminology departments and the Technikon SA) will do much to stimulate scientific research in the interest of successful policing.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The research concerned with the aim of this study, was to assess the appli-cation of intelligence-driven investigation in combating organised motor vehicle theft. The strategic intelligence plan, information sharing and understanding of or-ganised vehicle theft, are some of approaches which will assist in dealing with the challenge of the illegal sale of vehicles and vehicle parts. There is indeed a need to address police corruption, if the battle against vehicle theft is to be realised. The objectives of this study were the following: to explain the strategic intelli-gence plan for investigating motor vehicle theft; to evaluate whether investiga-tions of organised motor vehicle theft in Thohoyandou cluster are intelligence-driven; to assess if the cluster uses intelligence offender profiling in investi-gations; to explore how intelligence-driven investigation assists in information sharing; and, to make recommendations for the improvement of intelligence-driven vehicle theft investigation. The researcher wanted to apply new research knowledge, in order to develop good practice in the field. This has been done by recommending new proced-ures to enhance performance and to improve the ways and means of combating organised vehicle theft. KEY TERMS Intelligence-driven investigation; strategic intelligence; intelligence cycle; crime investigations; modus operandi; offender profiling; organised crime; systems theory; motor vehicle theft; information sharing.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The research concerned with the aim of this study, was to assess the appli-cation of intelligence-driven investigation in combating organised motor vehicle theft. The strategic intelligence plan, information sharing and understanding of or-ganised vehicle theft, are some of approaches which will assist in dealing with the challenge of the illegal sale of vehicles and vehicle parts. There is indeed a need to address police corruption, if the battle against vehicle theft is to be realised. The objectives of this study were the following: to explain the strategic intelli-gence plan for investigating motor vehicle theft; to evaluate whether investiga-tions of organised motor vehicle theft in Thohoyandou cluster are intelligence-driven; to assess if the cluster uses intelligence offender profiling in investi-gations; to explore how intelligence-driven investigation assists in information sharing; and, to make recommendations for the improvement of intelligence-driven vehicle theft investigation. The researcher wanted to apply new research knowledge, in order to develop good practice in the field. This has been done by recommending new proced-ures to enhance performance and to improve the ways and means of combating organised vehicle theft. KEY TERMS Intelligence-driven investigation; strategic intelligence; intelligence cycle; crime investigations; modus operandi; offender profiling; organised crime; systems theory; motor vehicle theft; information sharing.

International police co-operation is a recipe for success in the fight against transnational organised crime. Such cooperation has never been without challenges, especially in the light of disharmonious national laws. SARPCCO has made promising advances towards the elimination of blockages which hamper police cooperation. The joint, bilateral, simultaneous operations which are continuously carried out and the transferring of skills through training are exemplary to the rest of the world. SARPCCO is, however, struggling to make serious inroads into the organised motor vehicle theft because of the problems in returning them to their lawful owners. The objective of this study is to analyse the laws used by the SARPCCO member countries in fighting motor vehicle theft, transnational organised crime, recoveries, repatriation, prosecution and extradition of offenders. The SARPCCO member countries on which the analysis is done are Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. / Jurisprudence / LL. M.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was formed in 1994 after the integration of different “defence forces” into one large force. The sole existence of the SANDF is to protect the borders of the Republic of South Africa and its inhabitants. Resources such as vehicles make it easier for the SANDF to conduct mobile patrols and other operations to ensure that the organisation is always combat-ready. Motor vehicle theft is a crime that affects both individual citizens and organisations in South Africa; the SANDF is not immune to the crime. Many SANDF motor vehicles are stolen almost every day, and in most cases, these vehicles are taken without a trace. While there are security measures in place aimed at preventing theft of SANDF vehicles but these methods have proven futile. A literature review formed the basis of the study. Once the main theory and ideologies were identified, unstructured interviews were undertaken to gather information from various stakeholders. Observations were also conducted to determine behavioural patterns within military bases/units with regard to the parking of SANDF vehicles, even when the vehicles were parked in urban settings. Essentially, there is a problem regarding the security of SANDF vehicles and also the security within military bases / units. This study indicated that the SANDF loses vast amounts of money due to motor vehicle theft in Gauteng Province. The findings also revealed that the current vehicle security measures are outdated, ineffective and inadequate in preventing SANDF vehicles from being stolen. The recommendations are that the SANDF must invest more of its budget on vehicle security, rather than continuing with fruitless and monetary expenditure by conducting Board of Inquiries (BOI) or lengthy investigations in an attempt to relocate stolen vehicles or to determine how a particular vehicle was stolen. The SANDF requires a comprehensive system that should prevent the theft of its vehicles, as well as curbing the misuse of vehicles which ultimately renders SANDF vehicles as easy targets. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was formed in 1994 after the integration of different “defence forces” into one large force. The sole existence of the SANDF is to protect the borders of the Republic of South Africa and its inhabitants. Resources such as vehicles make it easier for the SANDF to conduct mobile patrols and other operations to ensure that the organisation is always combat-ready. Motor vehicle theft is a crime that affects both individual citizens and organisations in South Africa; the SANDF is not immune to the crime. Many SANDF motor vehicles are stolen almost every day, and in most cases, these vehicles are taken without a trace. While there are security measures in place aimed at preventing theft of SANDF vehicles but these methods have proven futile. A literature review formed the basis of the study. Once the main theory and ideologies were identified, unstructured interviews were undertaken to gather information from various stakeholders. Observations were also conducted to determine behavioural patterns within military bases/units with regard to the parking of SANDF vehicles, even when the vehicles were parked in urban settings. Essentially, there is a problem regarding the security of SANDF vehicles and also the security within military bases / units. This study indicated that the SANDF loses vast amounts of money due to motor vehicle theft in Gauteng Province. The findings also revealed that the current vehicle security measures are outdated, ineffective and inadequate in preventing SANDF vehicles from being stolen. The recommendations are that the SANDF must invest more of its budget on vehicle security, rather than continuing with fruitless and monetary expenditure by conducting Board of Inquiries (BOI) or lengthy investigations in an attempt to relocate stolen vehicles or to determine how a particular vehicle was stolen. The SANDF requires a comprehensive system that should prevent the theft of its vehicles, as well as curbing the misuse of vehicles which ultimately renders SANDF vehicles as easy targets. / Police Practice / M. Tech. (Policing)

International police co-operation is a recipe for success in the fight against transnational organised crime. Such cooperation has never been without challenges, especially in the light of disharmonious national laws. SARPCCO has made promising advances towards the elimination of blockages which hamper police cooperation. The joint, bilateral, simultaneous operations which are continuously carried out and the transferring of skills through training are exemplary to the rest of the world. SARPCCO is, however, struggling to make serious inroads into the organised motor vehicle theft because of the problems in returning them to their lawful owners. The objective of this study is to analyse the laws used by the SARPCCO member countries in fighting motor vehicle theft, transnational organised crime, recoveries, repatriation, prosecution and extradition of offenders. The SARPCCO member countries on which the analysis is done are Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. / Jurisprudence / LL. M.