Texas MVCPA credits grants, training and technology for recent declines in catalytic-converter thefts

Chief Miguel “Mike” Rodriguez, chair of the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority and Laredo police chief, told the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board on Sept. 18 that expanded grant funding, regional training and new data tools have helped reduce catalytic-converter thefts and improve law enforcement coordination across the state.

Rodriguez said MVCPA’s work has emphasized auto theft, burglarized vehicles and catalytic-converter thefts as “gateway” crimes and described a rapid increase in grant awards and technology deployments since 2024. “This is our mission statement. All Texans are free from harm and loss caused by motor vehicle crime,” he said.

Why it matters: MVCPA grants, training and new data-sharing tools are intended to give local task forces the capacity to identify organized theft operations, arrest suspects, and recover vehicles before stolen parts or the vehicles cross jurisdictional lines. MVCPA’s approach aims to reduce costs to victims and limit escalation from property crimes to more serious offenses.

What MVCPA reported

- Funding and grants: Rodriguez said the insurance-fee funding mechanism that supports MVCPA has grown over recent years; he described collections in 2024 and said the authority received an appropriation of $24 million to address catalytic-converter…