Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell and his Crime Prevention Unit announced Wednesday the institution of a nationwide anti-vehicle theft program known as C.A.T., Combat Auto Theft.
C.A.T. is a statewide program offered free to the public and designed to fight the problem of vehicle theft. This voluntary automobile decal registration program authorizes law enforcement officers to make investigative stops of registered vehicles. The program deters vehicle theft and aids in the identification and recovery of stolen/abandoned vehicles.
The decal program is meant to identify vehicles that aren’t usually on the road in the overnight hours. When getting the decal, the car owner must sign paperwork that gives Law Enforcement officers permission to make a vehicle stop between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. for standard vehicles or between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m for commercial vehicles.