The goal of the Auto Theft Educational Awareness Working Group of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Vehicle Crimes Committee is to educate law enforcement executives, their departments, and the general public as to the importance of and connection between vehicle crime and subsequent violent crime. This awareness is important to prevent violent crime sprees and their repercussions and to ignite support vital to the sustainability and longevity of auto theft investigative and prosecutorial units across the globe. Law enforcement needs to re-engage internal and external audiences to highlight crimes that have a tremendous impact on our communities, and we must work together to detect and thwart it. Our tactical goals are to do the following: 

• Articulate the connection between auto theft and violent crime. 
• Preserve and encourage funding for auto theft and vehicle crime. 
• Define the understanding of vehicle crimes and their impact. 
• Engage in predictive policing, community awareness, and hardening targets.