NICB Applauds New Mexico House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee for Passing Chop Shop Bill

DES PLAINES, Ill., Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Howard Handler, government affairs director for the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), issued the following statement in response to the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee's passage of House Bill 156.

"While New Mexico has made significant progress in combating the auto theft rate in the past couple of years, there is still more work to put the state's auto theft rates on par with the rest of the country. This bill will provide law enforcement one more tool to combat vehicle thefts by providing officers with the right criminal statutes to deter and prosecute these thieves and help dry up demand for stolen vehicles.

"These chop shops rely on a steady supply of stolen vehicles so the parts can be sold or used to repair or conceal other stolen vehicles.

"NICB will continue to work with lawmakers in the House and Senate to ensure reforms are put in place to protect consumers and continue to lower the state's high auto theft rate."   

REPORT FRAUD: Anyone with information concerning insurance fraud or vehicle theft can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 800.TEL.NICB (800.835.6422) or submitting a form on our website.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL INSURANCE CRIME BUREAU: Headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, learning and development, government affairs and public affairs. The NICB is supported by more than 1,300 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $496 billion in insurance premiums in 2018, or more than 81 percent of the nation's property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 92 percent ($254 billion) of the nation's personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org.

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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau