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Lunel police test stolen-car app to bridge a database gap

Municipal officers say the citizen-reporting tool saves time, while its operators say rewards depend on official recovery and a police investigation.

Channel: TF1 INFO ·

FranceStory of November 15, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of TF1 INFO's most watched videos since yesterday, with 37,161 views.

TF1 INFO: The news division of TF1, a private French television channel owned by the Bouygues group. 1.8M subscribers and 2B views.

Ces Français traquent les voitures volées

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0:20Lucy Milette recovers her stolen Audi after it is located through the app, according to the report.
1:03Teddy demonstrates checking license plates during walks; the report then explains how rewards are divided.
2:01Lunel municipal police test the app on patrol, citing their lack of direct access to the stolen-vehicle database.
3:22An anonymous co-founder traces the project to a police operation and residents who hesitated to report suspicions.
3:56Spokesperson Diane Bec says reward validation requires official vehicle recovery and a law-enforcement investigation.

Municipal police officers in Lunel, southern France, are testing a phone app to check suspicious vehicles during patrols. One officer explains the practical attraction: they do not have direct access to France's stolen-vehicle database, known as FOVES.

France's TF1 INFO follows that trial in "Ces Français traquent les voitures volées" ("The French people tracking down stolen cars"). The report shows how LAMP, created by two police officers from the Hérault department in 2024, connects vehicle owners with members of the public looking for stolen cars.

In Lunel, officers scan vehicles with the app. An officer says owners can post a theft alert before filing the police complaint, although that complaint remains mandatory. Municipal police director Thibaut Azaubert presents the tool as a complement to law enforcement, rather than a replacement for it.

The civilian side begins with Lucy Milette in Martillac, near Bordeaux. Her stolen Audi had been missing for weeks; according to the report, it was located within a day through the app, and she paid a €500 reward.

Elsewhere, in Milhaud, a user named Teddy checks license plates during his walks, hoping a match will bring him some extra money. The payment is split: for the minimum €300 listing, the finder receives one-third and the platform keeps the rest to support its development.

One co-founder, filmed from behind to protect his identity, traces the idea to a police operation that dismantled a network and conversations with residents afterward. The report describes people who had noticed something but had not felt confident enough to call police.

The app's description credits it with helping recover about sixty vehicles. But finding a possible match is not the final step: spokesperson Diane Bec says the reward is validated only after official recovery and an investigation by law enforcement. The police work continues after the owner gets the car back.

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