Burglars beware: New Pierce County Proactive Property Crimes Unit tasked with protecting your stuff
PIERCE COUNTY -- If you`ve ever had someone invade your home to steal your stuff -- you know the horrible feeling that hits hard.
In Pierce County, a brand new team of crime fighters are helping protect homeowners and businesses.
“We’re actively arresting a lot of people committing property crimes,” says Det. Sgt. John Delgado with Pierce County’s Pro- Active Property Crimes Unit.
It’s newly formed and has already seen over a dozen arrests in less than two months, due to hard work and a little creativity. “We work whatever hours and days they work. We’re very customer service oriented. We’ll change our hours and days to accommodate the bad guys.”
And their relentless pursuit has paid off in arrests like a jewelry thief they caught in the act. “We followed him to several jewelry stores one day, then we followed him through a neighborhood the next day and that next day we watched him break someone’s door down and we were there to greet him when he came out.”
The unit is a response from the city council and sheriff’s office to the countless complaints from citizens tired of being victims of property crimes. They also have help from other agencies. “We have good communication channels with the prosecutor’s office, with the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, with South Sound’s 911 intel analysts, and our own sheriff’s department analysts.”
And now this five person undercover unit has their sights set on another bad guy. “He recently went into a business, stole a car, went and committed a burglary, brought the car back and parked it exactly where it was supposed to be, where it was found when he stole it, so the owner just thought someone had done some damage to the ignition.”
He’s hoping that someone can help identify him. “Hopefully someone will notice what he wears. He’s probably brought the vehicle home, how he walks.”
But in the meantime, Det. Sgt. Delgado has some ways we can better protect ourselves from thieves like these. “During the daytime, make your house looked live in. Don’t be the person that leaves your trash can out at the end of the driveway all day long and into the next days.” He also says to leave your radio or television on during the day while you’re away and lights on at night. And there’s something else. “In the past we would ask you to, ‘Hey could you write this down,’ but nobody wants to do that, but now everybody has smart phones, so go around and take pictures of your serial numbers. That way when your house is burglarized, because everyone who’s had their house burglarized never thought it would happen to them, you’ll be able to put down on the inventory sheet exactly what was taken and give us pictures.”
Every small step can go along way if the unexpected happens, and make the bad guys think twice about making your home a victim. “Nothing is fool proof. If somebody wants in your house, they’ll get in your house, but make them work for it.”
So, take another good look at the car-stealing burglary suspect the Proactive Property Crimes Unit is hunting. His face is tough to see, but hopefully that unique logo and words on his white hoodie is what someone recognizes.
If you do, or think you know anything that can help get him identified, call an anonymous tip into:
CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS
You must call the Crime Stoppers hotline with your tip to be eligible to receive a cash reward for information leading to a fugitive’s arrest.