Texas Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators
IAATI - S. Central Regional Chapter
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TAVTI/SCRC Texas Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators IAATI - S. Central Regional Chapter |
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Greetings from central Texas. As many of you know, I am Joey Canady. I am honored and proud to have recently been elected as president of TAVTI/SCRC. I am originally from the central Texas area, and began my law enforcement career in 1987 with the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office. In 1998, I was blessed with being assigned to the Sheriff’s Combined Auto Theft Task Force. In 2008, Sheriff Johnny Burks offered me the opportunity to take over the reins of the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force. I retired from Burnet County and took a lieutenant’s position with the Coryell County Sheriff’s Office as commander of the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force. The first TAVTI conference that I attended was in Austin, held at the DPS Headquarters. It’s amazing how our organization has grown since then. There wasn’t a hospitality room, and the accommodations might not have been as comfortable as the Radisson, but the goals and the objectives were the same. We were a group of people who shared a common interest in the vehicle theft problem. We were there to provide/receive education and the exchange of information. As it’s been said many times, cooperation was and is the key to our success.
As a nation we are experiencing tough economic times. This has meant the reduction or reassignment of auto theft units and personnel across the nation. This is more change, but it is not welcomed by those who share our interests. Auto thieves are not going to take time off from their business of stealing cars because of the economy. We need to remain vigilant in our efforts. It is imperative, now more than ever, for everyone to work together.
Vehicle theft has been referenced as a “non-violent” crime. We know this not to be true and we need department heads, community leaders, state officials, and all citizens to know this as well. There was a time when those same people shared our common interest, but we have become complacent with our successes. Community leaders and state officials may believe that we have solved the vehicle theft problem because they are not reading about it in the morning paper. What they fail to see is that many crimes being committed involve a stolen vehicle. Use the media, talk to your agency heads, write letters to your state officials. Together, we can make a difference.
I believe we had a great conference in Dallas. I would like to thank Bill Skinner and everyone who had a part in the success of the conference. Randy Andrews did an outstanding job as president and I know that I will have a tough job filling his shoes. I appreciate the hard work of all of the executive board members, regional directors, web mistress, SlamHammer editor and committee members. Without all of you, my job would be much harder. Don’t forget to send in your articles to your regional directors or send them directly to Michelle and Michelle. Next year’s conference will be held in Amarillo. Rodney Clark has been working diligently to assure that it will be a great conference. Every year I think that we have outdone ourselves and it’s the best conference ever. I’m sure that Amarillo will prove to be the same.
I urge the regional directors to contact the law enforcement agencies within their respective regions in an effort to encourage them to submit trends and articles for the SlamHammer. I encourage you to hold your regional meetings as well. If you plan a meeting, send the information to Michelle Snyder and she will forward it out. I am going to try attending some of the regional meetings throughout the year.
Stay Safe,
Joey Canady
2009/2010 SCRC/TAVTI Past President - Randy Andrews
As most of you now know, I’m now the latest past president of TAVTI/SCRC. Joey Canady, the commander of the Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force, was elected by the membership at the conference in Dallas as the new president.
It was a very interesting year. There were a couple of tragic events that we had to deal with: Hurricane Ike and the death of Henry Canales, Houston PD Auto Theft Division. But there were also some good times had by all. First of all, I want to thank everyone who served on the 2008/2009 TAVTI/SCRC Board of Directors. Each and every one did an outstanding job, and it helped make my job a lot easier. That’s one thing you can always count on in this association -- if you need help on any thing, it’s just a phone call away. And believe me, I made a lot of phone calls asking for help.
We just completed the 34th Annual Texas Association of Vehicle Theft Investigators 2009 Training Seminar. It was a great conference. The training was new and different. There were some great instructors. They all did an outstanding job, and I would like to personally thank each and every one of them. I would also like to thank TAVTI/SCRC Past President Bill Skinner for all the time and effort he put forth putting the conference on. I know he worked many long hours securing donations, door prizes, getting sponsors and working with the Radisson Hotel. I also want to thank the members of the Dallas Police Department Auto Theft Unit for all the help they gave in assisting us in putting on the conference. They worked long and hard hours getting people where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. If we needed errands run or setup/cleanup, they were there. Detective David Wallace, Dallas PD, was able to fill in as an instructor at the last minute when one of our scheduled instructors had to cancel. Without the help of these people, the conference would not have run as smoothly as it did.
We still need articles to be sent in to the APB, SlamHammer & website. Write them yourself or give the information to one of your regional directors and ask them to write it. The board members can be found in the front part of the Slamhammer and also on the website. Contact them. Let them earn their keep. They are there for you. Also, keep an eye out for awards nominations. If you know of someone who has done an outstanding job on a certain case or recovery, submit them for one of the TAVTI awards. A list of the awards can be found on the website and in the SlamHammer.
If there is anything I can help any of you with, don’t hesitate to contact me. Keep up the good work and stay safe.
Randy Andrews
(214) 957-5346
rand4040@yahoo.com