NY Veh & Traf L § 223 (2021)
2021 New York Laws VAT - Vehicle and Traffic Title 2 - Department of Motor Vehicles; Commissioner Article 2 - Department of Motor Vehicles; Commissioner 223 - Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Program.

§ 223. Motor  vehicle theft prevention program. 1. The commissioner is hereby authorized and  directed  to  establish  a  motor  vehicle  theft prevention  program within the department which shall have trained motor vehicle investigators and police officers participating in it.   2. It shall be the duty of  such  investigators  to  conduct  detailed investigations,  in cooperation with law enforcement officials, of those entities which may be  possible  sources  for  the  disposal  of  stolen vehicles  or  major  component  parts;  to  determine the reliability of applicants required to be registered under provisions of the vehicle and traffic law; to provide  assistance  to  law  enforcement  personnel  in determining  sources  of  outlets  for  stolen motor vehicles and stolen motor  vehicle  parts;  to  cooperate  with  law  enforcement  personnel relative to the investigation of organized motor vehicle theft rings; to examine  motor  vehicles prior to the issuance of a New York state motor vehicle title at the discretion of  the  commissioner;  and  to  inspect motor vehicles for which a notice of acquisition is required to be filed pursuant  to  section  four hundred twenty-nine of this chapter whenever such a vehicle is to be registered for use upon the public highway.   3. The commissioner, in consultation  with  the  commissioner  of  the division  of  criminal justice services, shall establish a motor vehicle theft prevention program to be known as the "Watch  Your  Car  Program," which  shall  include  the issuance of official decals to identify motor vehicles that are not normally operated between the hours of  1:00  A.M. and  5:00 A.M. Participation in the program shall be voluntary in nature and shall involve the following:  (a) In the presence of a duly authorized police  officer  in  any  law enforcement  agency  participating in such program, the registered owner of a motor vehicle shall sign an informed consent  statement  indicating that the motor vehicle registered to such owner is not normally operated between  the  hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. The form of such informed consent  statement  shall  be  promulgated  by  the  commissioner  after consultation  with  the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services.  (b) (i) Upon signing such informed consent statement,  the  registered owner  shall  be  issued  decals  approved  by the commissioner and such decals shall be affixed to the owner's vehicle in a conspicuous place as prescribed by the commissioner. The decals shall be issued  by  the  law enforcement agency participating in the program.  (ii) The law enforcement agency issuing the decals shall make a record of  the  decals  issued  to each registered owner. Such records shall be maintained by the law enforcement agencies participating in the  program and  shall  be  available  to the commissioner, to the superintendent of state police, to the commissioner of the division  of  criminal  justice services and to law enforcement agencies.  (c)  Informed  consent  statement  forms  shall  be  available  at all participating  law  enforcement  agencies  throughout  the  state.   The commissioner  may  accept  the format used for the decal and application used by local police officials in municipalities that  implemented  such programs prior to the effective date of this subdivision.   4.  The  commissioner  shall,  no  later  than January first, nineteen hundred eighty-two, submit to the governor and the legislature a  report on  the  results  and  operation  of  the motor vehicle theft prevention program.   5. The expenses incurred by the commissioner in implementing the motor vehicle theft prevention program created by this section shall be funded from revenues collected pursuant to  sections  four  hundred  fifteen-a, four  hundred  twenty-one,  subdivision  five  of  section  four hundred twenty-three-a and four hundred thirty of this chapter.