Bait Vehicle Program, Resident Surveillance Teams To Assist Holiday Enforcement In Sugar Land

A special Sugar Land Police Department police impact team will be using a bait car program and volunteer citizens conducting covert surveillance operations during the holiday season. A group of officers is focusing exclusively on vehicle burglaries and shopper safety during the holiday season, a time when these crimes are traditionally on the rise.

The team has department-wide resources at their disposal, including a program utilizing technology to catch criminals in the act of breaking the law.

“Thieves intent on stealing cars in Sugar Land should know about our bait vehicles – they could be any of thousands parked throughout our city,” said SLPD Sgt. Mike Richards.  “Bait vehicles are equipped with a GPS tracking system and internal video system that activates when the vehicle is tampered with or stolen.  A remote controlled device is installed in the vehicles, allowing us to disable the engine and lock the doors, preventing escape.”

Combined with specially trained resident volunteers, SLPD intends to target theft-prone locations such as retail parking lots and health clubs, as well as other areas throughout the city.

Members of SLPD’s Community Assistance Support Team patrol City streets in distinct uniforms and marked vehicles, performing tasks that supplement police officers. 

During the holidays, CAST members are patrolling parking lots to keep an eye out for suspicious activities. They also distribute flyers notifying motorists of valuables left in plain view inside vehicles.

“Something we’re doing a little different this year is the utilization our volunteers to conduct surveillance operations in areas where we know holiday crime is on the rise,” said Richards. “They will provide another set of valuable eyes and ears to help us better respond to incidents as they occur.”

CAST members receive 12 weeks of training in the Sugar Land Citizens’ Police Academy.  After graduation, the volunteers receive six hours of classroom training and eight hours in the field focusing on the following areas: organization and policies, warrant call-ups, radio procedures, phone bank procedures, special circumstances (such as traffic, crowd control and incident command) and patrol procedures (i.e., traffic laws, driving safety, house watches, citizen contact, etc.). Specialized training is provided on a follow-up basis, as needed.

SLPD’s holiday impact team is also working with residents and owners of retail areas to distribute tips that can help prevent vehicle burglaries:

• Keep vehicles locked at all times.
• When parked overnight, remove all valuables from vehicles.
• When shopping, make one trip to the car with purchased merchandise, and then leave the lot. Thieves have been known to watch shoppers as they place merchandise in their cars before returning to a store. 
   
• Never leave identification, wallets, credit cards or jewelry invehicl es while visiting fitness centers. Doing so is much riskier than using a locker inside the gym or leaving the items at home. 
   
• If personal property must be left in a car, lock it in the trunk. Unfortunately, this option does not exist for pick-up trucks or SUVs. Thieves are aware that there is no secure place to store items in these types of vehicles.