New York will provide nearly $4 million in grant funding to 29police departments, district attorneys' offices, and other agenciesto combat auto theft and insurance fraud in the state.

“Motor vehicle insurance fraud is a crime that costs New York'sconsumers and insurers millions of dollars every year,” said Gov.Andrew Cuomo in a press release. “Under the state's motor vehicletheft and insurance fraud prevention program, we are [equipping]local law enforcement agencies with additional resources to combatthis problem, enhancing efforts to track down those who break thelaw and increasing protection for our consumers.”

The grant is available through the state's Motor Vehicle Theftand Insurance Fraud Prevention program, which is overseen by a12-member board that develops the state's strategy for combatingauto theft and insurance fraud, in addition to reviewing grantapplications and issuing the grant awards. The state Division ofCriminal Justice Services (DCJS) serves as the staff for the boardand administers the grant program, which targets the state's urbancenters and is funded through a $10 fee assessed on insurancepolicies issued for vehicles registered in the state.

Recipients will use the grants to target suspected autoinsurance fraud and continue efforts to combat vehicle theft, whichhas been steadily declining in New York. Since 1997, the number ofmotor vehicle thefts reported in the state has declined 90 percent.In 2012, 18,677 incidents of suspected motor vehicle insurancefraud were reported to the Insurance Frauds Bureau of the stateDepartment of Financial Services (DFS), a 9-percent increasecompared to 2011, when 17,121 suspected incidents of fraud werereported. The 2012 incidents included motor vehicle theft; motorvehicle arson; larceny from a vehicle; motor vehicle fraud claimsand no-fault insurance claims, all of which were notlegitimate.

The 29 agencies receiving grants will use the additional fundingin a variety of ways to combat fraud, including: funding either allor a portion of the salaries of assistant district attorneys andinvestigators specifically assigned to handle motor vehicle theftand insurance fraud cases; funding enhanced enforcement and stingoperations; and offering specialized training for prosecutors,police officers and investigators.

A list of how grant money is being allocated to New Yorkagencies appears on the next page.

Statewide Training Grants

• New York Anti-Car Theft and Fraud Association (NYACT):$57,000
• The New York State Prosecutor's Training Institute (NYPTI):$31,900

New York City

• New York City Police Department: a total of $289,700 to twospecialized units, the Auto Crime Division and Fraudulent AccidentInvestigation Squad
• Fire Department of New York: $104,900
• Bronx County District Attorney's Office: $302,500
• Kings County District Attorney's Office: $227,200
• New York County District Attorney's Office: $275,000
• Queens County District Attorney's Office: $568,200
• Richmond County District Attorney's Office: $77,100

Long Island

• Nassau County District Attorney's Office: $169,100
• Nassau County Police Department: $130,000
• Suffolk County District Attorney's Office: $315,100
• Suffolk County Police Department: $143,200

Hudson Valley

• Westchester County District Attorney's Office: $300,900
• Yonkers Police Department: $139,400

Capital Region

• Albany Police Department: $36,500
• Albany County District Attorney's Office: $68,100

Central New York

• Syracuse Police Department: $26,000

Western New York

• Erie County District Attorney's Office: $120,700
• Monroe County District Attorney's Office: $125,000
• Niagara County District Attorney's Office: $152,100
• Buffalo Police Department: $121,000
• Cheektowaga Police Department: $48,000
• Niagara Falls Police Department: $36,500
• Rochester Police Department: $42,200
• Monroe County Sheriff's Office: $31,200
• Niagara County Sheriff's Office: $21,500