A&E NEW REAL-LIFE SERIES JACKED: AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE PREMIERES THURSDAY AUGUST 21 AT 10 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK, NY, August 6, 2008 � A&E takes viewers inside the real-life dramatic pursuits of a specialized elite squad of police officers who set out each night under the cloak of darkness to put car thieves behind bars in JACKED: AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE. The thirteen episode series premieres on Thursday, August 21 at 10 PM ET/PT with two back-to-back half-hour episodes.

Each week viewers will get the rare chance to see how this dedicated group of officers known as �The Wolf Pack,� carry out their nightly high-stakes pursuits to curb auto theft and related crimes. Located in Northern New Jersey, the Essex/Union Auto Theft Task Force (A.T.T.F.) employs a fleet of supped-up SUVs equipped with LoJack sensors and heavily reinforced steel bumpers to carry out their principal objective of locating and recovering stolen vehicles and arresting those in possession. The A.T.T.F. also regularly utilizes a helicopter equipped with a heat-seeking camera, a truck with an advanced computer tracking system able to read 240 license plates per minute and a decoy vehicle outfitted with GPS tracking devices and remote control cut-offs for the windows, doors and engine.

The A.T.T.F. strictly adheres to guidelines set forth by the county including a no-chase policy which is deployed by using a specialized blocking technique to immobilize stolen vehicles but without knowing the motives of each thief, every encounter has the potential to become a dangerous battle. Many of the arrests carried out by the A.T.T.F. are for more serious offenses such as carjacking, armed robbery, aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

The Essex/Union A.T.T.F. was developed in 1991 to address the extremely high level of car thefts in the two counties. Since its inception the team has recovered more than 6,200 stolen vehicles and made more than 3,400 arrests and is the highest LoJack recovery unit in the country. Made up from officers from both counties who serve either part-time or full-time, the unit is commanded by Detective Tony Del Duca who works under the direct supervision of Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.

JACKED: AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE is produced by Pangolin Pictures for A&E Network. For Pangolin Pictures, Kevin Bachar and Joey Allen are executive producers. Executive producers for A&E are Robert Sharenow and Andy Berg.

About A&E

A&E is �Real Life. Drama.� Now reaching more than 96 million homes, A&E is television that you can�t turn away from; where real life shows are dramatic and scripted dramas are authentic. A&E offers a diverse mix of high quality entertainment; ranging from the network�s signature Real-Life Series franchise, including the hit series �Intervention,� �Gene Simmons Family Jewels,� �Paranormal State� and �Criss Angel Mindfreak,� to the most successful justice shows on cable, including �The First 48� and �Crime 360� and original scripted series including �The Cleaner� starring Benjamin Bratt. A&E is also the official basic cable home to the high-profile series �The Sopranos,� �CSI: Miami� and �Criminal Minds.� The A&E website is located at www.aetv.com. For more press information and photography please visit us on the web at www.aetvpress.com.