Carrollton,%20Texas%20Police%20Department

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Carrollton, TexasPolice Department

• Community Problem
• Oriented Policing Team

Reducing Vehicle Burglaries
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City of Carrollton

• Dallas area suburb (North Dallas Area)
• Approximately 116,500 residents and 37 square
  miles
• Primarily single and multi-
• family residences
• Some light industry and
• warehouse

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Police Department

• Sworn Officers 157
• Non-Sworn Personnel 73
• Operations Bureau, Patrol Division
• Authorized 80 officers
• Usually staffed with 68-70 officers

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Coordinating Problem Solving
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Problem Solving Guidelines

• Is it ethical?
• Is it legal?
• Is it the right thing for the community?
• Is it the right thing for the Carrollton Police
  Department?
• Is it within our policies and values?
• Is it something you can take responsibility for
  and be proud of?
• If the teams answer to all of these questions is
  yes, then plan the implementation and do it!

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Vehicle Burglaries in Carrollton64 Increase
from 2000 to 2003
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Damages and Losses to Vehicle Owners
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Officer Hours Investigating Vehicle Burglaries
and Taking Reports
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Damages and Losses to Vehicle Owners
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Vehicle Burglaries in Carrollton64 Increase
from 2000 to 2003
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Vehicle Burglary Sequence

• Victim parks car outside, accessible to others
• Victim leaves the vehicle, often unsecured
• Victim leaves property of value in the vehicle,
  unsecured and in plain-view
• Offender enters area, looking into vehicles
• Offender sees property and enters the vehicle (by
  force or through open door/window)

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Vehicle Burglary Sequence

1. Offender flees the area, usually un-apprehended
2. Victim discovers burglary and reports offense
3. Officer responds, searches for physical evidence,
   completes a police report
4. Detective examines the report and follows-up on
   rare instances in which physical evidence or a
   suspect description exists

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Analysis of Offender

• Mostly young (under 25 years old)
• Many offenders are school age since vehicle
  burglaries typically spike during school breaks
• Offenses committed during the nighttime
• Varying methods of entry, but offenders usually
  use one consistent method
• Offenses committed for personal gain

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Analysis of Location

• Vehicle burglaries reported citywide, but some
  areas are consistently hit harder than others
• Target Areas
• Consistently burglarized over long term (as
  compared to surrounding areas)
• Offenses currently being reported (as compared to
  surrounding areas)

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Analysis of Victim

• Victim owns or drives a vehicle
• Vehicle parked accessible to offender
• Property of value left in vehicle
• In many cases, victim does not lock or secure
  vehicle
• Victim can only give wide time gap during which
  offense occurred (usually 6-8 hours)

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Communication Campaign

• City of Carrollton Reader Boards
• Vehicle Burglary Rising
• Lock Doors/Secure Valuables
• Dont be a Victim

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Immediate Media Response
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Report Cards

• All vehicles in target area evaluated
• First Wave July 2004
• Over 600 vehicles evaluated
• 55 vehicles failing (easy targets)

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Tri-Fold Pamphlets

• More personal communication
• Door-to-door campaign throughout target area
• Personal contact and engagement with residents of
  the area

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Immediate Media Response
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Environmental Responses

• Canvassed target area, documenting dark areas
• Identified overgrown vegetation and
  non-functioning street lights
• Partnered with City of Carrollton Code
  Enforcement to hold property owners, utility
  companies, and even the City accountable

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Report Cards

• Second Wave September 2004
• Over 600 vehicles evaluated
• 28 vehicles failing (easy targets)
• Significant reduction of easy targets
• Similar deployments throughout the City to
  prevent displacement

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5.8 per Month Average
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1.00 per Month Average
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.33 per Month Average
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.64 per Month Average
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Average Monthly Vehicle Burglaries in Target Area
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Citywide 2004 Results13 Reduction in Reported
Vehicle Burglaries
15
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-13
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Citywide 2004 Results23 Reduction in Damages
and Losses to Owners
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66
-23
-11
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Citywide 2004 Results10 Reduction in Officer
Hours
4
6
13
-11
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Contact Information

• Officer Travis Johnston
• T.Johnston_at_cityofcarrollton.com
• Officer Christopher Rosipal
• Christopher.Rosipal_at_cityofcarrollton.com
• Lieutenant Matthew Kosec
• Matthew.Kosec_at_cityofcarrollton.com

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Contact Information

• Carrollton, Texas Police Dept.
• 2025 E. Jackson Rd.
• Carrollton, TX 75006
• 972-466-3290
• www.cityofcarrollton.com