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Holiday Happenings Fort Worth 2018

Police News

Fort Worth Police Department crafts plan to bait holiday package thieves

Christmas gifts presents boxes holiday
Gifts belong under the tree. Courtesy photo

The city of Fort Worth is launching a masterfully crafty program to foil Christmas-package thieves.

With package thefts being such a major issue during the holiday season, Fort Worth Police Department's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) has instituted "Operation Grinch Pinch," which will entail putting out baited packages designed to catch thieves in the act.

According to a release, the plan involves packages provided by FWPD’s Electronic Surveillance Unit (ESU); cooperation from select community members; and daily monitoring of the baited packages by the RTCC.

Individuals chosen to participate in the program must have an active home video monitoring system that has the ability to record activity 24 hours per day. Participants must agree to not divulge that they are cooperating with law enforcement. No gloating on Facebook about how you're a deputy of the law.

Participants will place the GPS baited package on their front porch, making sure it's visible from the street.

Packages are "geo-fenced," allowing the RTCC to monitor them packages for any movement outside of the geo-fenced area/target location.

Upon any movement outside of the target location, the RTCC will notify patrol officers, and boom.

Once the package is recovered and the individual(s) responsible for the theft is taken into custody, the baited package will be recovered.

After Grinch Pinch is completed, crime analysts will determine the program's effect on package thefts across the City of Fort Worth.

The program was implemented on December 1 - thieves are being baited as we speak - and will conclude at the end of the year.

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