About
Program Background
Lock it Down! is a Public Education and Public Awareness program funded by a grant from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority to combat motor vehicle theft, burglary from motor vehicles, and fraud-related motor vehicle crime. Its focus is on educating automobile owners about simple ways to protect their belongings and vehicles, with a focus on vehicle theft, burglary of personal belongings in vehicles and theft of catalytic converters.
About MVCPA
The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) is part of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Established as the Texas Automobile Theft Prevention Authority (ATPA) by the 72nd Texas Legislature in 1991, it became the first statewide effort to reduce auto theft. In 2007 the ATPA mission was amended to also emphasize reducing vehicle burglaries. The resulting agency, the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority (ABTPA), was charged with assessing automobile burglary, theft, and economic theft (burglary or theft committed for financial gain) in Texas, analyzing the methods and providing financial support to combat the problems. In 2009, the ABTPA became part of the newly established Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The name was changed to Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority in 2019.
MVCPA has fostered a statewide cooperative network of law enforcement groups, prosecutors, insurance industry representatives, local tax assessor-collectors, and concerned citizens to combat vehicle theft and burglary through enforcement, prevention, public information, and education initiatives. In addition to providing guidance and oversight, MVCPA awards financial grants to agencies, organizations, and concerned parties in an effort to raise public awareness of vehicle theft and burglary, and implement education and prevention initiatives.
About ICT
The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) is a nonprofit trade association that was created when the Texas Insurance Advisory Association and Texas Automobile Insurance Services Office merged effective September 1, 1996. For more than 80 years, these two Texas-based associations had been the principal property and automobile insurance associations for companies operating in Texas. The mission of ICT is to promote the property and casualty insurance industry by providing relevant information and resources to its members, the public, regulators and the media.
