SAN JUAN-A simple sticker for your car is just one way San Juan Police are trying to curb the stream of stolen vehicles going across the border into Mexico. They say not only is the program aimed at protecting peoples property, it is also a way to keep stolen vehicles out of the hands of drug cartels.
"They're stealing the cars and using them for violent crimes and I don't want my personal property being used for that. So yeah, it worries me," said Benjamin Peña.
Peña says he will try to keep his bright red truck out of the hands of thieves this time. He said his wife's car was taken just a few years ago and he never wants that to happen again. A Texas H.E.A.T. sticker is a part of the proactive approach Peña is using to keep car thieves away from his truck.
"What's so awesome is that if your car gets stolen over night.... And an officer sees that sticker, they can stop it, from what they're explaining to us, to check if it's stolen."
The stickers are a part of a program that allows vehicle owners to register their cars and trucks with a program that let law enforcement officers know they can stop the vehicle between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. or when that vehicle attempts to cross into Mexico. The registration last for four years and the information collected from the registration process is entered into a statewide database that provides instant 24-hour information for law enforcement agencies. The publicly funded program is a part of the Texas Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority, a project that was formed in 1991 to prevent the transportation of stolen vehicles from Texas into Mexico.
San Juan Police Corporal Jose Treviño says the H.E.A.T. sticker and a manuel anti-theft device is a good way to make your car less of a target for car thieves.
"Since I've been doing auto theft, I've never heard of a stolen vehicle with a "club" that was used on the vehicle," Corporal Treviño said.
San Juan Police say auto thefts actually went down last year.
"We do have rashes of stolen vehicles depending on the demand that is on the other side in Mexico."
More than one hundred drivers registered their vehicles with Texas's H.E.A.T program Saturday. Peña said it was a step he is willing to make to prevent thieves from driving off with his truck.
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