THE COMPILATION REPRESENTS A FOLLOWUP TO THE NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON AUTO THEFT PREVENTION HELD IN NEW YORK CITY ON OCTOBER 3-6, 1978. OVER 300 PERSONS FROM 30 STATES ATTENDED THE WORKSHOP. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES IN AUTOMOBILE THEFT PREVENTION ARE SUMMARIZED BY TRACING GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT FROM PASSAGE OF THE DYER ACT IN 1919 TO THE PROPOSED MOTOR VEHICLE PREVENTION ACT OF 1979. SEVERAL STATE LAWS AND LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS ARE HIGHLIGHTED, EMPHASIZING EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE UNIFORMITY IN STATE LAWS. ACTIVITIES OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND CITIZEN GROUPS TO PREVENT AUTOMOBILE THEFT ARE REPORTED, INCLUDING ANTITHEFT PUBLICATIONS OF THE NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE THEFT BUREAU, THE AUTOMOTIVE DISMANTLERS AND RECYCLERS OF AMERICA, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATORS, AND OTHERS. ANTICAR THEFT CAMPAIGNS IN BOSTON, NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY, MICHIGAN, AND TEXAS ARE ALSO OUTLINED, WITH NAMES OF ORGANIZERS, ADDRESSES, AND PHONE NUMBERS. AN ANNOTATED LIST OF PUBLICATIONS CONCERNED WITH AUTOMOBILE THEFT, MOST OF THEM DATING FROM 1974, IS PRESENTED. A GLOSSARY OF MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TERMS IS INCLUDED. (DEP)