Emerging Technologies with Vehicle Crimes

John Letteney was sworn in as Chief of Police for the Thomasville (GA) Police Department in January 2021. He previously served as Chief of Police for the Apex (NC) Police Department (2012 - 2021) and the Southern Pines (NC) Police Department (2005 - 2012). In 2005, Chief Letteney retired as a Captain/Zone Commander from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Rochester, New York, where he was responsible for a police substation as well as law enforcement services for an international airport. During his 39+ year law enforcement career, he has served in patrol, investigations, training, accreditation, tactical operations, inspections and administration. Chief Letteney currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and is a Past General Chair for the Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police (SACOP). Chief Letteney has represented the IACP throughout the membership. He served as a Mentor for the IACP’s New Police Chief Mentoring Project, and is a past member of the IACP Civilian Law Enforcement/Military Cooperation Committee (CLEMCC), the Sergeant-At-Arms Committee and the Resolutions Committee. He chairs the IACP Investigations Policy Council. Chief Letteney is a Past President of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police (NCACP), and received their Outstanding Service Award for 2015. He also received the 2013 Outstanding Law Enforcement Executive of the Year award from the North Carolina chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), was honored as the 2017 Chief of the Year and honored with the 2020 “Blue Flame of Hope” Award by Special Olympics of North Carolina, and was named a “Magnus Gladio Leader” by the National Command and Staff College in 2018. In 2020 he was appointed to the Respect for Law Enforcement and the Rule of Law Working Group of the Presidents Commission on the Administration of Justice, and was appointed by the Governor of North Carolina to both the Governor's Crime Commission and the Governor's Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. Chief Letteney holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate in North Carolina, has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and is a graduate of the FBI Command College and the 248th Session of the FBI National Academy.

Christopher McDonold is the Executive Director for the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council/Department of State Police. After serving 25 years, he retired on June 30th, 2012 from the Baltimore County Police Department. He had been assigned to the Patrol Division, the Burglary Investigation Unit, the Firearms Violence Section and for his last 17 years was assigned to the Baltimore Regional Auto Theft Team. Chris is the committee chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Vehicle Crimes Committee and has been a member of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI) since 1995, serving as its president from 2010-2011. Chris is also the current chair of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) NMVTIS Law Enforcement Sub-Committee. Chris is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force Reserve and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Mount St. Mary’s University and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Johns Hopkins University’s Police Executive Leadership Program.

Paul Steier is the Law Enforcement Program Manager with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). Paul coordinates training and educational programs to inspire collaboration between motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies through-out the U.S. and Canada. Paul joined AAMVA in 2017 and previously served 25-years as a commissioned officer with the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) where he was the Director of the Bureau of Investigation & Identity Protection. He managed a staff who investigated motor vehicle and personal identity crimes along with operating the DOT's facial recognition program. Prior to his service as Bureau Director, Paul held the rank of Major working for the DOT's Motor Vehicle Enforcement Office where he also served as a Fraud Investigator and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer. Paul is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police serving on the Vehicle Crimes Committee and is Chair of the Emerging Technologies with Vehicle Crimes Working Group. Paul is a member of the National Sheriff's Association serving on the Traffic Safety Committee.  He also is a member of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, International Association of Auto Theft Investigators, and the Iowa Peace Officers Association. Paul has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Paul is a graduate of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and served on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.    

George Baker serves as GM’s primary interface to the international vehicle crime investigation community. He leads GM’s Global Vehicle Security Team, working with GM’s technical experts to ensure GM understands and counters current and emerging vehicle crime methods to provide optimal vehicle security to GM product owners. George has held a variety of positions at General Motors since 1995, including locomotive program manager in Mexico and Russia, sales/marketing/aftersales director in Moscow, director of GM Military Trucks, and OnStar’s primary liaison to law enforcement. He holds an engineering degree from West Point and a master’s degree in Russian area studies from Harvard University. George is a retired US Army officer following his service on tanks and in the Army’s military liaison program.

D.T. “Rusty” Russell is the Director of Operations-Vehicles with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).  In his role Mr. Russell coordinates all vehicle, marine, and specialized equipment investigative programs of the NICB (both nationally and internationally) at the headquarters level. He has been with NICB since 2009 and previously served as an NICB Special Agent in Western North Carolina. As Director of Operations-Vehicles he has been instrumental in the development of NICB’s LPR Program, Specialized Equipment Program, Berla Program, and the Crash Data Retrieval Program. Mr. Russell has advanced NICB relationships with manufacturing partners and strengthened strategic partnerships with organizations such as the National Automobile Services Task Force, Automotive Information Sharing & Analysis Center, and the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition.  

Paul is an electronics engineer and technology consultant with more than 25 years’ experience in global engineering and consultancy roles. Most of his experience has been gained working within the Automotive industry. He currently owns and runs an engineering consultancy company based in the UK called Adrow Ltd.

Paul holds a master’s degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Surrey. He subsequently held Senior Engineer roles in Automotive Tier-1 companies, such as Alps and Motorola, where he was responsible for the development, testing and production launch of a wide range of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) used in contemporary vehicles. 

Paul then moved into engineering consultancy and has spent the last 14 years working with vehicle manufacturers, security system suppliers and other stakeholders to help them understand the latest theft techniques and advise them how to design-out some of the weaknesses exploited by contemporary vehicle theft tools. As part of his consultancy role he presents at national and international conferences, runs confidential technical workshops and seminars with clients and produces numerous reports and articles on contemporary theft methods. Paul is listed on the UK National Crime Agency’s (NCA) ‘Expert Advisor’ database and assists law enforcement by identifying, testing, and providing evidential statements on recovered tools.

Adrow Ltd specialises in separating fact from fiction regarding vehicle theft for our clients in Asia, Europe, and North America. The work we do is strictly confidential. We cooperate with a trusted network of law enforcement and theft investigators to share intelligence with our clients, enabling the development of enhanced security systems to meet the evolving threat environment.