Sherrill, Bacon Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Car Theft 

WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Don Bacon (NE-02) reintroduced the bipartisan Auto Theft Prevention Act to provide state and local law enforcement agencies with federal funding to help combat auto thefts and stolen vehicle trafficking.

The Auto Theft Prevention Act is the first pillar in Rep. Sherrill’s Improving Public Safety in the Garden State Agenda, a legislative package she is beginning to introduce this week to keep New Jersey families safe and support first responders.

“Last year, I worked with police chiefs, local leaders, and residents across the district to bring home Community Project grants for automated license plate reader systems in Essex and Morris Counties — funding that will help us stop car thefts, high speed car chases, and associated home invasions. And we’ve seen positive results, including more cars recovered safely by the police. But our work is far from done, which is why I’m introducing the Auto Theft Prevention Act once again. This bipartisan, commonsense legislation will invest federal dollars into tools that are efficient and effective at keeping New Jerseyans safe,” said Rep. Sherrill.

“We’ve got to pump the brakes on the rate of car thefts,” said Rep. Bacon. “Rep. Sherrill and I are partnering on the Auto Theft Prevention Act to equip our police forces with resources to find, stop, and deter car thieves from harming our communities. Thieves belong behind bars, not behind the wheel.”

This legislation will create a new competitive grant program within the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to fund state and local law enforcement efforts to combat auto thefts. In addition, the legislation creates a new eligible use of funds within the existing COPS grant program that allows police departments to use funds on new equipment, hiring, and compensation to help combat auto thefts. It is designed to direct funding to areas of the country that are most impacted by auto thefts.

Grants can be used by police departments to purchase equipment used to combat auto theft, such as law enforcement vehicles and license plate readers, hire additional law enforcement officers and support staff, fund overtime costs and additional compensation for law enforcement officers and support staff, provide resources for joint task forces, and fund law enforcement data collection and research activities related to combating auto theft.

The legislation has been endorsed by the National Troopers Coalition, New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, and New Jersey Association of Counties.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill has been a leader in bringing back federal dollars for law enforcement agencies throughout New Jersey. She secured $1.9 million in Community Project funding for automated license plate readers (ALPRs) in Morris and Essex Counties to combat auto thefts and violent crime. Through the American Rescue Plan, she delivered $10 million in federal funding for the New Jersey State Police and local law enforcement agencies to install ALPRs. Over the past four years, she has also brought back almost $200 million in federal funding for New Jersey law enforcement, including through the COPS and Byrne-JAG programs.