As Western Regional Chapter members continue their work in combating Auto Theft, along with the various associations within our region, I want to recognize all your dedicated work. We are a long ways from the old "hot wiring" days. The sophistication level of the auto thief has risen to almost becoming a computer expert forcing the auto theft detective to reach even higher levels of sophistication. I've told many of my trainees and students that is what makes auto theft investigation fun... it is different every day you go to work. The crooks are always coming up with a new method to steal vehicles which detectives combat forcing the crook to come up with something else... a continually evolving crime.

I want to congratulate the 2007 elected WRC Executive Board. On October 3rd, 2006 the IAATI Western Regional Chapter held its annual meeting during the WSATI Training Seminar. 2006 IAATI WRC President Dave Petrelli (Alliance United Insurance) conducted a chapter meeting and held elections. IAATI 2006-2007 President Tommy Hansen (Galveston County TX Sheriffs) attended the meeting. I (Santa Ana PD/OCATT Retired) was elected as the 2007 IAATI WRC President, Skip Davidson (Davidson Investigations) 1st Vice President, Rick Greenwood (Riverside PD) 2nd Vice President, J.D. Hough (Arizona DPS) 3rd Vice President, and Jim Kautz (Westminster CO PD) 4th Vice President. Dave Petrelli then presented me with the IAATI WRC Charter. I then presented Dave Petrelli with a "thank you" gift for his leadership during 2006.

I was fortunate to attend both the 2006 WSATI Training Seminar and the 2006 AATIA Training Seminar. Both provided excellent training as well as an opportunity to network with other vehicle theft detectives / investigators. Congratulations to WSATI Northern Chapter President Cliff Gray and his seminar committee and to AATIA President J.D. Hough and his seminar committee.

There will be several training opportunities in the Western Regional Chapter in 2007, including the annual IAATI Training Seminar that will be held in Arizona in August, co-hosted by AATIA and IAATI WRC. The WSATI Southern Chapter will be hosting the annual WSATI Training Seminar in San Diego in September. A few days later CATI will be putting on their annual Training Seminar in Colorado. Please take the opportunity to attend one of these training opportunities (or all of them if you can). Today's sophistication requires us to be up-to-date with our knowledge of how the thieves are doing their "job" so we have a better idea of how to do ours.

left to right Tommy Hansen, Gary Labb, Dave Petrelli Gary Labb receiving the IAATI WRC Charter from Dave Petrelli

The Western Regional Chapter is continuing its efforts to recruit new members. The WRC Executive Board is seeking ideas from IAATI members in that effort. Please feel free to contact any of the Executive Board.

We will once again be seeking input for our annual Lee S. Cole Officer of the Year Award and the Jerry Boyer Memorial Award that will be presented at the annual WSATI Training Seminar. Both of these men were more than just "instructors." Both these men instructed you in classes, and then remained both a mentor and a friend to their students over the years. I was fortunate to have both as instructors during my early vehicle theft training, and as friends until their deaths.

I'd like to once again remind IAATI members of the importance of "networking." When you are at a training function, please bring extra business cards to share. It is through this exchange of meeting one another that we have a contact in another city, another state, even another country. Tommy Hansen was recently contacted by an Eastern European member about a problem vehicle possibly in Southern California. Tommy was able to connect the Eastern European member to me. I, in turn, was able to turn him over to the appropriate task force personnel locally. Networking is something that vehicle theft investigations are often based on.

The IAATI APB allows us to share information with our peers via both hard-copy and email publications. We can also add information to the website. If you believe something should be shared with your peers, please forward me the information or send it to Steve Gobby, the IAATI APB Editor at segobby@iaati.org.

In closing, I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year, and hope that 2007 is all that you want it to be. I know that 2007 looks like a very busy year for the IAATI Western Regional Chapter. It is my privilege to be your elected 2007 President.

Sincerely,
Gary Labb
2007 Western Regional Chapter President

Click Here to view the President's October 7, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the Past President's October 7, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the Past President's September 8, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the President's July 1, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the President's May 28, 2008 Message