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Weatherford approves interlocal agreement to continue participation in Tarrant County auto‑crimes task force
Summary
The Weatherford City Council authorized the city manager to execute an interlocal agreement allowing the Weatherford Police Department to remain in the Tarrant County Regional Auto Crimes Task Force; Police Chief Jason Hayes said the task force has increased Weatherford's clearance rate by about 20–25%.
Weatherford — The Weatherford City Council approved an interlocal assistance agreement that will allow the Weatherford Police Department to continue participation in the Tarrant County Regional Auto Crimes Task Force.
Chief Jason Hayes told council the task force — established in 1993 and staffed by investigators from multiple state and local agencies — serves North Texas and acts as a regional force multiplier for multi‑jurisdictional vehicle theft and related investigations. "In checking the statistics ... prior to that, 30 to 40 percent of some of our motor vehicle cases were cleared by arrest or cleared by other means. Today's date, now being since added to the task force, we're seeing a 20 to 25% increase in our clearance rate," Hayes said.
Councilmembers asked for local data on outcomes and raised the item cost; a council member referenced a $25,000 line item as Weatherford’s contribution to the task force. Chief Hayes said Weatherford generally runs about 30–35 auto thefts per year and that many incidents involve unlocked vehicles with keys left inside. Staff recommended approval, and council voted to approve the interlocal agreement.
The agreement will allow Weatherford officers to access task‑force resources, including regional databases and investigative support; the transcript records approval but does not include a detailed roll call tally.
