The HEAT(Help Eliminate Auto Theft) program was piloted within the Hampton Police Division in conjunction with the Virginia State Police and the Department of Motor Vehicles as an effort to "crack down" on the increasing number of auto thefts occurring in the City of Hampton.

Mission

• Cooperative effort between the Division, the State Police and the Department of Motor Vehicles to eliminate incidents of auto theft in Virginia.
• The program is used as an education tool to increase public awareness about auto theft and how to protect oneself from becoming a victim.
• Encourages citizen participation in helping to eliminate auto theft in Virginia.

HEAT was established in Virginia in 1992 as an aggressive response to the growing incidence of vehicle theft in the state. The program is administered by the Virginia State Police in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and 145 local law enforcement agencies. HEAT's success can be attributed to its diverse, comprehensive approach to combating vehicle theft through patrol officer education, the education of teenagers and adults through the Driver Education Resource Curriculum, grant funded auto theft awareness initiatives and equipment purchases, and cash awards to citizens who provide information leading to the arrest of auto theft suspects. The HEAT program is utilized by the Division to increase public awareness about protection against auto theft and to encourage citizen participation in helping to eliminate auto theft in Virginia.

For more information, please email chiefsoffice@hampton.gov or call (757) 727-6510.