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January 1991
THE RAT PATROL RIDES!
By
Paul C. Ricks
Deputy Chief of Police
Colorado Springs, Colorado, Police Department
In the fall of 1988, the rate of automobile thefts increased
dramatically all across the Nation; the City of Colorado
Springs, Colorado, was no exception. Although the department
continued to emphasize traditional anti-crime measures, such as
information bulletins at roll call, and alerting the auto theft
unit the rate continued to increase. In fact, within 1 year,
the number of automobile thefts occurring within the city jumped
an astonishing 77.9 percent. (1) It became obvious to the
department that only through a well-organized, permanent
response could the department solve existing auto theft cases
and prevent future thefts. After considering the various
options available, department administrators decided to form a
special auto theft detail.
EMERGENCE OF THE RAT PATROL
The newly created detail, christened the RAT Patrol (Reduce
Auto Theft), consisted of two officers from the Tactical
Enforcement Unit, two officers from each patrol shift, and a
sergeant. The patrol shift officers were assigned to the detail
and were trained for a period of approximately 90 days. They
were then rotated back to their shifts and were replaced by
different officers. This insured a constant infusion of
training and tactical information to the patrol shifts.
The team worked in plain-clothes and used unmarked vehicles
borrowed from the Investigative Bureau. However, in order to
provide enough vehicles for the RAT officers, local insurance
companies were approached for help. One company responded by
supplying two vehicles a recovered stolen vehicle and a
corporate vehicle.
Selected RAT Patrol officers received special training in
locating hidden vehicle identification numbers, restoring
obliterated vehicle identification numbers, recognizing stolen
vehicles, conducting investigations involving auto thefts, and
interviewing/interrogating suspects. These officers then
prepared a 4-hour block of inservice training for all Patrol
Bureau personnel. Several sessions were needed to train the 355
persons assigned to the Patrol Bureau, and these sessions were
scheduled around the clock to accommodate shift scheduling and
to avoid overtime expenditures.
ATTACKING THE PROBLEM
The mission of the RAT Patrol was to enable the department
to deal with the rising auto theft rate in a more effective
manner. Therefore, in order for RAT officers to have a better
understanding of the problems that faced them, the Crime
Analysis Unit (CAU) conducted a detailed analysis of the crime,
which revealed the following information about the auto thefts
occurring within the city:
* The suspects were usually juveniles or young adults
* The same suspects or their close associates were
suspects in a high percentage of cases cleared
* Juvenile suspects taken into custody for auto thefts
were not detained by the juvenile center
* Juveniles adjudicated as delinquents were not usually
incarcerated; if they were incarcerated, their sentences
were very short
* Young adults convicted of auto theft were generally not
incarcerated until they had multiple convictions, and
then, the sentence was minimal
In addition to the suspect information contained in the
profile, the RAT officers also learned that high-performance cars
were the most popular target and that most thefts occurred in the
eastern part of the city during the evening hours. The most
popular methods of theft included taking cars with keys left in
the ignition, breaking the steering column, or hot wiring the
car.
INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES
Information contained in the crime analysis served as an
important tool in the development of new investigative
techniques. One investigative technique developed by RAT
officers to use in stolen auto cases was working pattern cases
"backwards." To do this, they began with known auto thieves and
identified the cases that fit an individual's (or group's)
pattern. They also did "link analysis" charts on known auto
thieves and their associates, as well as gangs of thieves.
RAT officers also focused special attention on cases that
involved the most popular target vehicles because these cases
were generally found to involve repeat offenders. To increase
the probability of cooperation, they devised a system to allow
off-duty RAT officers to interrogate suspects immediately after
their arrests. This "call-out" system ensured that experienced
officers were available to process recovered stolen vehicles
thoroughly for items of evidence. RAT officers also varied their
work hours to coordinate their schedules with the times most
vehicles were stolen.
A final investigative technique used by RAT officers was to
monitor closely potential outlets for stolen vehicles and parts
and accessories. Popular stolen accessories included CD players,
tape decks, radios, and cellular phones.
COOPERATION WITH JUDICIAL SYSTEMS
The Analysis Unit profile shed light on yet another problem
the department faced in its efforts against auto thefts ensuring
that offenders were incarcerated. If persons in the judicial
system could be convinced of the necessity of incarceration, it
would remove repeat offenders from the streets, and perhaps,
serve as a deterrent to those who may be considering auto theft.
RAT officers believed that "vertical prosecution" for all
auto theft cases was the key to ensuring that auto theft
offenders would be incarcerated. They gained the cooperation of
the District Attorney's office, and an agreement was reached to
have one prosecuting attorney assigned to conduct all phases of
any auto theft cases brought to them for filing. This prevented
an offender who had cases pending simultaneously in several
different divisions of the district court from receiving "first
offender" treatment in multiple cases. In return, the
department agreed to have an auto theft investigator present at
every stage of all court proceedings that involved either the
theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. The investigator
was prepared to testify not only to the facts of the specific
case under consideration, but also to the general scope of the
auto theft problem within the area and the impact it had on the
community.
To further strengthen their position with the courts, the
RAT officers asked the CAU to prepare "community impact
statements." These statements outlined the number of thefts and
the dollar amount of the losses caused by top auto theft
offenders as a result of the current prosecutorial and judicial
treatment of youthful auto theft defendants. In an effort to
educate the courts concerning the problems the RAT patrol faced,
these statements were presented in meetings and discussion
sessions held with the District Attorney's personnel, judges, and
juvenile court referees. The statements were also used to
encourage stiffer sentences for both juvenile and adult
offenders. As offenders were incarcerated more rapidly and for
longer periods of time, the auto theft rate began to decline.
SUCCESS OF THE RAT PATROL
In 1989, the stolen vehicle rate dropped approximately 2
percent compared to the 1988 rate. The recovery rate in 1989 saw
an even more dramatic change, increasing almost 10 percent to 91
percent. First month statistics for 1990 show that the decline
experienced in the last half of 1989 continues. A comparison of
the January 1990, figures to the January 1989, figures show a
45-percent decrease in the auto theft rate.
INTRA-AGENCY EFFORTS
While the RAT patrol has contributed greatly to the
reduction in auto thefts, intra-agency cooperation has also
played an important role. The auto theft detectives continued
to follow up on all reported auto thefts, while RAT officers
conducted surveillance of high-incidence locations and known
auto theft suspects. In addition, the Auto Theft Unit handled
followup investigations, isolated auto theft cases, multiple
related cases, identifiable pattern cases, and "chop shop"
operations. The detectives tracked every reported auto theft
case to ensure that it received proper attention and that
followup reports were submitted promptly. They also presented
auto theft cases to the District Attorney's office to guarantee
precise case coordination, and they inspected salvage yards to
ensure that operators did not store vehicles, which may have
been stolen, along the roadside in violation of city zoning
laws.
The Total Resources Against Career Criminals (TRACC) Unit
of the Investigative Bureau concentrated its anti theft efforts
on the apprehension of career criminals active in the stolen car
field, and several of these felons were incarcerated as habitual
offenders. During the analysis phase of the RAT plan, the
department determined that many repeat auto thieves were
juveniles, and for this reason, the TRACC Unit did followups on
these cases. This resulted in quicker adjudications and longer
sentences for these juveniles.
Another successful project has been the Top Auto Theft
Offender project, which involves determining a point system for
individuals who are either arrested or convicted for offenses
involving the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. A
list of offenders was distributed to all officers, and offenders'
names were entered into both the Colorado Criminal Information
Center and the department's computerized criminal history files.
Any officer checking an individual for wants/warrants would be
notified if that person were on the list.
CONCLUSION
The dedication and total commitment of RAT patrol officers
contributes to the success of this program. Through innovative
thinking and a strong desire to create a cooperative spirit, both
inside and outside the department, they have successfully
attacked a major problem in the community.
FOOTNOTE
(1) There were 169 vehicles stolen in January 1989
compared to 95 vehicles stolen in 1988.