INSIDE the Lakeland Police Department

The Power of a Crime Tip

Over at our media blog, we posted a story yesterday about two subjects being arrested Tuesday on burglary charges. Our subsequent investigation by detectives into a residential burglary on Lake Hollingsworth drive resulted in the recovery of most of the jewelry and guns taken during the crime.

All of this occurred because of a phone call we received from a citizen witness who saw something suspicious and called the police. In this particular case, a witness saw something happening by their business location that looked suspicious and totally out of character for the area. Rather than wonder if they should call the police and possibly delay getting important information to us, they called right away. Our officers were able to locate two vehicles connected with the burglary and distribution of stolen property, as well as arrest suspects wanted for armed robbery out of Volusia county.

It's worth repeating here - all of this occurred because of a phone call we received from a citizen witness who saw something suspicious and called the police. And quite honestly, we may not have been able to solve this crime without getting the phone call like we did.

The truth of the matter is crimes are most often solved due to information we gather from eyewitnesses or someone who hears a suspect discussing something. Very few crimes are solved because of the spectacular CSI syndrome where forensic lab work quickly directs us to a suspect. We rely on tips and information from the public to help us solve crimes.

We are grateful for the eyewitness calling us like they did and want to use this case to encourage everyone who sees something suspicious in their area to call us. We would rather respond to a thousand "suspicious incident" calls that turn out to be nothing than miss the opportunity to solve a crime like we did on Tuesday.

Guess you could say there is a lot of power in a single crime tip.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

The Speed of Rumors

It amazed me just how fast the recent hoax e-mail suggesting gang violence would occur at a local merchant made its way across Florida and Georgia on Wednesday. Talk about speed and efficiency! We were still getting calls about the hoax yesterday.

This whole episode got me wondering...

What would happen if I sent out an e-mail to all my friends (not that I have that many friends to begin with, but I digress) announcing with a high degree of certainty someone's unlocked car would get burglarized today at a local shopping mall, so be sure to lock your vehicle and put your valuables out of sight.

Would panic set in and suddenly people would send the e-mail all over Florida? Would folks start locking their cars and putting purses or cell phones or computers or GPS units in a secure container (say a locked trunk) - and thereby reduce our motor vehicle burglary rate by 50% or so?

Nah - probably not because there is nothing sensational to a car burglary, unless it's your stuff getting stolen and your car getting damaged! But just imagine for a moment how a single e-mail could send a simple message of crime prevention and reduce victimization in our community.

Ah, the speed of rumors...

But if you just happen to remember one thing the next time you park your car -- please lock it or risk losing something valuable from it because I am quite sure a car burglary is going to happen somewhere today. You can count on that e-mail message being factual.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Heartland Crime Stoppers

At yesterday's monthly meeting of the Polk County Police Chief's Association, Mr. Wayne Cross from Heartland Crime Stoppers paid us a visit and reminded the Chiefs in attendance how Crime Stoppers can be a useful tool in fighting crime. This tool is sometimes overlooked as a way to gather anonymous tips that can be passed along to law enforcement. Here is how the system works:

Callers can use the telephone, cell phone texting, or the web to submit anonymous tips. If your tip leads to an arrest, you can be eligible for cash rewards that are funded through grants, donations, and fines levied against convicted defendants. General Fund tax dollars are not used to pay these rewards.

It was interesting to learn that Heartland Crime Stoppers, serving Polk, Highlands, and Hardee counties, consistently has the highest percentage of arrests based on tips for any other jurisdiction our size - a whopping 21%! That figure is based on 544 arrests made during the last fiscal year, or 1.5 arrests per day from Crime Stopper tips. Rewards during that same period totaled $104,500.

The key to this success is you - the public - who call, text, or via the web submit crime tips to local law enforcement agencies. Thanks for taking the time to submit your tips via Heartland Crime Stoppers. Arrests are being made, cases are being closed, and drugs are being seized in our school and neighborhoods because of your tips.

Well done everyone!

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Follow Up to our Pill Drop-Off Initiative

It is difficult to quantify a "successful pill drop-off", but we are pleased to let everyone know the following from our recent initiative to collect unwanted prescription medications this past weekend.

Detectives report a total of 199 pounds of unwanted pills collected on Saturday. This quantity compares to 80 pounds collected during the previous pill drop-off.

Is 199 pounds good? That is hard to say, but we think it is great! What we can say for sure is there are 199 pounds less of wanted prescription medications (remember these are controlled substances) just sitting around in medicine cabinets waiting to be taken by mistake (accidental overdoses by adults or children) or ingested by our youth in an effort to get high.

And now what happens to these pills? We make arrangements to incinerate them rather than grind them into a powder and throw them away where they can leach into our water system.

We appreciate everyone's interest in this program and your efforts to bring the pills to the police station. Together we can take small steps to make our community safer.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

The Season for Car Burglaries

While reviewing crime reports from the weekend, it is obvious that car burglaries are going to once again become a major problem during the holiday season. Rather than the usual case of cars getting burglarized in shopping areas, this past weekend saw a significant number of car burglaries in residential areas.

Officers made one arrest early this morning when a victim discovered his vehicle was being burglarized off Lake Hollingsworth around 4:45 AM. The suspect fled on foot, but responding officers setting up a perimeter around the area were able to locate and arrest Casey Lee Swander, W/M, DOB 02/08/1988 after the victim positively identified him as the culprit. Great job by our Charlie Squad this morning!

There were numerous other car burglaries on the south side of town over the weekend. Detectives are investigating these cases to determine if Swander committed those offenses as well.

Vehicles on the north side of town also got hit this weekend. The Lake Deeson Woods neighborhood had a total of five car burglaries between November 21 - 22. No arrests have been made yet in connection with those crimes.

We urge everyone to reduce their chance of becoming a victim of a car burglary by locking their car and removing valuables from the passenger compartment. Thieves are less likely to enter your car when there is nothing inside to steal. And of coure, call us to report any suspicious activity you observe in your neighborhood.

For a complete listing of car burglaries and pin maps showing the locations of these crimes, visit SpotCrime.com.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Lakeland Police Ask If Criminals Need Help With Directions, Too

Admittedly I ask this tongue-in-cheek, but I pose a question - do criminals suddenly need help with directions or finding their way around town? I ask because we have seen an increase lately in Garmen GPS units being stolen during vehicle burglaries.

These handy devices are often left attached to the front windshield inside a vehicle. They create an almost irresistible invitation for crooks to break into the vehicle and remove the device. It takes a matter of seconds to complete this crime and be out of the area without ever being detected.

The police have next to no chance in preventing this crime, but you do. Securing these devices when you are away from your car will greatly increase the chances of you not becoming a victim. I realize it is often a matter of convenience - but I have to ask is it more convenient to become a crime victim, file a report with the police and your insurance company, and then go buy another device - or is it easier to just hide it in the first place?

Something to think about...

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Neighborhood Watch Programs: Do They Work?

One of the most basic community policing programs we offer to residents is Neighborhood Watch, or in business areas the Business Watch program. These programs are based on the concept of organizing a community, be it a residential neighborhood or a business area, for the purpose of raising awareness about crime trends, crime prevention tips, and order maintenance concerns. The ultimate goal is to empower the neighborhood to become involved in improving the quality of life for their area by looking out for each other and working in a collaborative partnership with the police.

But the ultimate question here is whether Neighborhood Watch programs are effective in reducing crime. A recent study by the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office found "Across all eligible studies combined, Neighborhood Watch was associated with a reduction in crime." You can read the entire report here.

We offer Neighborhood Watch programs because they work. Contact our Community Services Unit (863-834-6912) if you are interested in starting one in your neighborhood or learning more about Neighborhood Watch.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Lakeland Police Are Now On Twitter

After conducting a bit of research and discovering a few other police departments around the country are beginning to use Twitter, I decided we would take the leap and join. You can find us on Twitter under our account name LakelandPD.

Be patient as we look for creative ways to use this form of communication technology to keep the public informed of events, emergencies, and general news around the Lakeland Police Department.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Community Policing on the Internet: Checking in at Hampton Hills in Lakeland

Communication is a critical component of community policing. Sharing information is essential to help residents stay informed about crime in their area, educate them on what they can do to stay safe, and empower neighborhoods to become organized so they can help reduce the opportunity for crime to fester in their community.

The most common techniques that neighborhoods used to communicate was through phone trees or newsletters. Others now have intricate e-mail systems to keep residents in touch with current events. Today I was introduced to what the Hampton Hills neighborhood is doing to use technology to achieve this goal - a neighborhood web site and blog!

This is not the first neighborhood web site in Lakeland. You can visit the Lake Morton Neighborhood Association on the web, too. If there are others out there in Lakeland, please let me know about your web sites as well.

Kudos to Hampton Hills for this achievement. I cannot think of a better to way to harness the power of the Internet and facilitate timely communication with residents.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere

Just How Bad is Crime Today?

It seems we get a daily barrage of media stories that report crime in our community, state, and nation. Read enough print articles or web postings or hear on TV enough of these reports and one can quickly get a sense of crime being everywhere. People can begin to fear leaving their homes at that point.

So how bad is crime then?

According to data from our 2007 UCR report, just under 1 in 100 people were the victim of a violent crime last year, and many of those were the result of lifestyle choices. What do I mean by that? People who become the victim of a violent crime while buying or selling drugs, or who get into bar fights, etc. count as UCR crime victims, but their victimization is directly linked to choices they make and the lifestyle they live. In other words, these are not random acts of violence.

The same report shows just under 6 in 100 people were the victim of property crimes in 2007. These crimes include burglaries, thefts, and auto thefts. The data only tells part of the story. More than half of our vehicle burglaries, for instance, are to unlocked vehicles with valuables left in plain sight. Our rate of property crime would decrease if people would simply take a moment to secure their property.

So how bad is crime then?

I guess it depends on how you look at the numbers and the stories behind the crime reports. Innocent people become random victims, which is not a good thing. Not so innocent people become victims, which is still not a good thing, but is preventable.

We try to work throughout the community to ensure no one becomes a victim of a crime. Please help us along the way by doing all you can to prevent you or your family from becoming a crime stat - prevention and common sense go a long way to keeping us safe.

- Asst Chief Bill LePere