San Antonio Police Department H.E.A.T. Help End Auto Theft

The San Antonio Police Department has a special detail within its Vehicle Crimes Unit called REACT (Regional Auto Crimes Team). This detail focuses on regional auto theft, particularly large scale or organized auto theft operations. In conjunction with this, the San Antonio Police Department has expanded its auto theft prevention program to participate in the state-wide vehicle registration program called HEAT (Help End Auto Theft). The HEAT decal replaces the previously-used ACT (Arrest Car Thieves) decal.

Vehicles displaying the HEAT decal on the front windshield and rear window are clearly identifiable to law enforcement officers throughout the state as being registered in this anti-auto-theft program. Registration in HEAT and displaying the decals means the vehicle owner gives permission to any law enforcement officer to stop the vehicle between the hours of 1:00 am and 5:00 am, to identify the driver as one of the persons registered by the owner as having permission to drive the vehicle.

If a HEAT-stickered vehicle is stopped by a law enforcement officer at 3:00 am and the vehicle operator or occupant is NOT one of the drivers listed on the HEAT registration, the officer will then check further to see if the vehicle has been stolen. In some cases, officers have stopped vehicles with the HEAT decal, discovered an unauthorized person was driving, contacted the registered owner who, only then, learned the vehicle was missing and had been stolen. More than one Texas officer has called an owner in the middle of the night, only to have the owner insist his vehicle was "in the driveway", when, in fact, the vehicle and the car thief were with the officer.

San Antonio residents can register their vehicles with the HEAT program in one of three ways:

1. If your vehicle is currently registered with ACT (and has visible decals), please take the vehicle to any SAPD substation and the new HEAT stickers can be applied. (PLEASE call the substation first to see what time is best to bring your car.)
2. If your vehicle is NOT registered with ACT you can still get the HEAT stickers at the substations, but you must bring your vehicle, proof of ownership (title, registration) and a list of authorized drivers to complete the registration. (Again, please call the substation first.)
3. ON-LINE REGISTRATION : You may register your vehicle in the HEAT program ON-LINE, by using the special on-line enrollment form available through this page. Please be prepared to enter details concerning title, registration, list of authorized drivers, etc. when you fill out the on-line form.