The IAATI Award of Merit was created in 1992 in order to honor a person, group, department or company in recognition for outstanding contribution in the area of vehicle theft investigation or prevention.   Of the 17 excellent nominations received, one stood out from the crowd, which was the Colorado Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement – South (BATTLE-South) Team.  The award was initially intended to be received by Deputy Scott Stone (El Paso County Sheriffs Office), however, he underwent an emergency surgery procedure due to lingering injuries from a February 5th incident during the night proceeding the award.

The BATTLE-South Team is a vehicle crime task force, composed in 2015, and includes fourteen (14) multi-agency law enforcement partnerships in Southern Colorado.  The BATTLE-South Team has demonstrated innovative and supportive strategies using intelligence-led policing and operational planning. Their specialized attention to vehicle crimes investigations, including chronic offenders, organized enterprises, and complex multi-jurisdictional cases has been proven to be highly successful.  In 2017 alone, BATTLE investigated over 320 criminal case investigations resulting in more than 360 recovered stolen vehicles, valued at over $2.6 million and performed over 130 arrests.  The efforts of BATTLE-South have assisted in the reduction of vehicle crimes in Southern Colorado, which is the only area of Colorado that experienced a reduction of vehicle crimes in 2017.

On February 5th, 2018 the BATTLE-South Team performed a covert operation involving vehicle crimes when they engaged a suspect and, during the arrest procedures, a gun battle ensued.  Although the gun battle resulted in the death of the suspect, it also included the injury to a bystander and significant harm to the BATTLE-South Team. Of the ten members of the BATTLE-South Team, three were injured by gunfire and a fourth member was killed in the line of duty. 

This award acknowledges the efforts and sacrifice of the BATTLE-South Team and their dedication to serve and protect the citizens against vehicle crimes:

·        Detective Micah Flick

·        Deputy Scott Stone

·        Detective Stephanie Criss

·        Detective Trey White

·        Detective Mike Boggs

·        Detective John Watts

·        Sergeant Jake Abendschan

·        Detective Marcus Yanez

·        Sergeant Kevin Miyakusu

·        Investigator John Reindollar

The IAATI Award of Merit was presented by IAATI Director Reg Phillips (Canada) and President J.D. Hough (AZ) to Colorado ATPA Director Robert Force, who received the award on behalf of BATTLE-South and Deputy Scott Stone – who was unable to attend due to a medical emergency.  The award was presented on August 6, 2018 at the 2018 International Association of Auto Theft Investigators International Training Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.