Spring Training for Auto Theft Investigators

For anyone who is a baseball fan, spring is a time to start getting your baseball fix.  For those of us in the northern climates who are living under a blanket of snow, we get the chance to live vicariously through our favorite players as they prepare for the upcoming season in places like Florida and Arizona.  Many of the games during spring training aren’t particularly pretty.  Blowouts aren’t uncommon as veteran players are shaking off the cobwebs of the offseason, and newer players are trying to get familiar with new systems and playing against players they maybe haven’t seen before.  One of the primary reasons for spring training is to get players ready to bring their “A” game to the regular season.

I look at the NCRC conference the same way.  Historically, auto theft is down    during the winter months.  When workload is down, many of us get involved in “other duties as assigned.”  The problem with not handling a steady diet of auto theft claims is we start to get a little rusty.  Just like a hitter can’t step up and hit a fast ball consistently after being away from the game for a few months, investigators also need a little time to get into the groove when auto losses begin to increase.  I can’t think of a better way to help you get into the groove than attending the NCRC auto theft training conference. 

This year’s conference will be held May 6-9, 2013 in East Peoria, Illinois, at the     Embassy Suites.  For those of you familiar with the Embassy Suites, you know what a top notch facility it is.  We’ve also been able to negotiate a great rate which includes a cooked to order breakfast and a free social hour each day.  While the hotel has a great restaurant, there are also many other places to eat and hang out within close proximity to the hotel. 

This year’s conference will mark our 50th anniversary.  While we always work on making every conference a great training event, this year we’re pulling out more stops than usual.  We’re planning on having some factory tours as well as bringing in a number of speakers from across the nation.  I encourage all members to check out our website for more information.  Take the time to fill out the      registration form and mail it in today.   While May 6th may sound like it’s a long way off, it’s less than a month away.  We all know how quickly time sneaks up on us, so don’t delay.  And as long as you’re sending in your registration, book your room too.  They’re   going fast and you don’t want to miss out on staying at this first rate facility.

For those of you who have attended an NCRC conference in the past, you’re very familiar with the benefits of training which are provided.  I see many of you every year.  It’s one of the few venues where you can get exposed to several days of   training dedicated solely to auto theft and fraud.  It not only is a great way to dust off the cobwebs, but I’ve never come away without learning something new.  For all you “veteran players” out there, consider bringing along one of the “rookies”.  I’m sure they’ll greatly appreciate it as you help them achieve their “A” game.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Peoria.

"Coach" Glenn Ebersold
President
North Central Regional Chapter, IAATI