Tracking Devices Help Lower Crime Rate: DPD

Other police departments want to know what police in northwest Dallas are doing thanks to the area's dramatic decrease in crime.

Northwest Dallas is experiencing such an impressive drop in crime -- 15 percent overall year-to-date. Auto theft is down 23 percent, and violent crime is down 25 percent.

Officers are hiding secret tracking devices in everything from laptops and navigation units to construction equipment and appliances.

When a thief steals the baited property, officers are dispatched to track the thieves down and arrest them.

"Even local police departments from other areas of the Metroplex are encouraged by this technology and how we are using it," said Lt. Paul Stokes of Dallas' Northwest Patrol.

Deputy Chief Malik Aziz credited his officers' use of new technology as well as Chief David Brown's summer crime-fighting initiative with northwest Dallas' crime drop.

"It's old-fashioned policing combined with new technology and the intuition of our hard-working officers," he said.

Citywide crime is down 5 percent, and many of other patrol divisions are now using the technology first used by North West Patrol.

Stokes said the use of the tracking devices is the best use of manpower. Officers are alerted when the items are stolen and no longer have to sit and wait for burglars to strike.

"This allows us to follow Chief Brown's plan to flood crime hotspots with both uniformed and undercover officers," he said. "It's a great use of our resources."

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