Michigan is intensifying its fight against auto crime with the enlargement of the state’s task force as vehicle theft has become an increasing concern for the residents. Attorney General Dana Nessel has fortified the department's Auto Insurance Fraud Unit, repurposing and renaming it the Auto Fraud Task Force (AFTF). This move comes in response to the surge in vehicle thefts in the state, with Michigan experiencing a 4.1 percent increase in reported motor vehicle thefts from the previous year, swelling to a total of 28,408 incidents in 2023.

The AFTF's collaboration with the Michigan State Police Metro Detroit Auto-Theft Recovery Team (MSP MDART), initiated last month, now includes a dedicated prosecutor for high-level auto theft rings. According to a press release by the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Nessel views the expansion of the task force as a crucial measure to "strengthen our fight against both vehicle theft and insurance fraud, crimes that impact far too many Michigan residents each year."

Nessel is credited with advancing the department's tactics in apprehending and prosecuting individuals involved in these crimes. Earlier, Nessel's team had made significant progress with the announcement of arrests of four individuals, believed to be part of a criminal organization responsible for hundreds of vehicle thefts in Southeast Michigan.

The AFTF's reach isn't limited to collaboration with MSP MDART, it also works in tandem with the Department’s FORCE Team, focusing on the investigation and prosecution of auto theft networks. To date, the FORCE Team has charged a total of 14 defendants with criminal enterprise and auto theft offenses, a testimony to the severity of the issue at hand, and the department's commitment to addressing it.