Nevada Adds Auto Theft, Fraud Task Force

Following a tour of the Vehicle Investigations Project for Enforcement and Recovery (VIPER) bait car program, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons announced the formation of a task force that will address fraud and auto theft in Nevada. The VIPER program, led by Lt. Robert Duvall, includes law enforcement representatives from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, and receives assistance from the Nevada Transport Authority. The Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Task Force will be charged with identifying the scope of the Nevada insurance fraud and vehicle theft problem and its affect on Nevada consumers as well as review potential solutions. The task force will take a statewide approach to ensure that all stakeholders are represented. Last year, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area was ranked as the number one city in the nation for vehicle theft, a number one rating that the Governor wants to see erased. The Governor indicated that the task force will investigate the issue of organized insurance fraud, vehicle theft and methods to combat these problems. Gibbons added that he will seek task force representatives from federal, state and county agencies; the insurance industry; and collision repair, medical and legal communities.