LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT Bait Car Program PDF

LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE Policy: Volume: Chapter: Revised: 6.215, Bait Car Program 6 - Investigative Policies 2 - Specialized Investigative Protocols 7/2015, 5/2016 6.215 BAIT CAR PROGRAM 6.215.1 6.215.2 6.215.3 General Procedure for Response to Bait Car Pr...

LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE Policy: Volume: Chapter: Revised: 6.215, Bait Car Program 6 - Investigative Policies 2 - Specialized Investigative Protocols 7/2015, 5/2016 6.215 BAIT CAR PROGRAM 6.215.1 6.215.2 6.215.3 General Procedure for Response to Bait Car Procedure for the Response to Bait Mopeds It is the policy of this department to use both traditional and nontraditional law enforcement approaches to facilitate the reduction of auto thefts in this jurisdiction. 6.215.1 General The bait vehicle program is a nontraditional law enforcement approach. As the name implies, the focal points of the program are the “bait cars and bait mopeds.” Bait vehicles are makes and models selected from the department’s top-ten list of stolen vehicles. These vehicles are acquired from seizures, insurance companies, and car dealerships. The vehicles are strategically parked in areas throughout the jurisdiction that are experiencing high auto theft rates. Although the vehicles are intended to be stolen, they require no direct surveillance to apprehend the suspects, due to the unique equipment with which they are outfitted. With this in mind, the main objectives of the bait vehicle program are: 1. Maximize officer safety 2. Apprehend and arrest suspects 3. Mitigate damage to bait vehicles Bait cars are equipped with a Covert System, which consists of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) hardware, controlled, and monitored by the Communications Bureau. The system, once activated (by opening the car door or starting the engine), provides the Communications Bureau with the location (within fifty meters), direction of travel, and vehicle speed. It will also provide valuable information on latitude and longitude to air units. Communications has the ability to shut down the engine of the bait car on command within five seconds. Bait mopeds are equipped with a Covert System, which consists of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) hardware, controlled, and monitored by the Communications Bureau. The system, once activated (by starting the engine), provides the Communications Bureau with the location (within fifty meters), direction of travel, and vehicle speed. It will also provide valuable information on latitude and longitude to air units. Communications has the ability to shut down the engine of the bait moped on command within five seconds. The LVMPD Communications supervisor will receive a vehicle movement, vibration or ignition alert and create a 411B event and route the event to the appropriate area channel to be dispatched. The Communications supervisor will then relay this information to the area channel dispatcher, who will then relay the real time information to the patrol units assigned to the call. Because the bait vehicles can be tracked by the Global Positioning Satellite, responding marked units should not respond Code 3, under normal circumstances. Responding Code 3 could impede the probability of an apprehension and should, for proper response and safety, only be used as a last resort. If and when the bait vehicle becomes occupied and/or begins to move, responding units should respond to the vehicle in an effort to locate the bait vehicle and suspects. LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 6.215 POLICY AND PROCEDURE Bait Car Program Effective: 5/2016 The Vehicle Investigation Project for Enforcement and Recovery (VIPER) Detail, Technical Operations Section (TOS), or Information Technologies Bureau (ITB) will conduct routine maintenance on bait workstations. Maintenance will include ensuring anti-virus software and operating systems are current, performing system health checks, and file system maintenance. ITB will also install bait software patches and upgrades supplied by the vendor as they become available. Problems with bait server or software running on department-provided workstations at the Communications Bureau will be reported to the LVMPD Help Desk. ITB will troubleshoot and contact the vendor if necessary. Problems with bait hardware installed in vehicles should be reported to the VIPER Enforcement Detail, who will notify the vendor for support if necessary. 6.215.2 Procedure for Response to Bait Car Page 2 of 5 LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 6.215 POLICY AND PROCEDURE Bait Car Program Effective: 5/2016 VIPER Enforcement Detail will: 17. Coordinate the program with support from other departmental units. 18. Acquire vehicles for use as bait. 19. Determine the location (through crime analysis or other means) where the bait cars should be parked and relocates the vehicle according to any new trends. 20. Ensure the bait car is equipped with a Covert System, and that the system is in good working order. 21. Monitor the bait car periodically to ensure it is in good operational condition. 22. Respond to the scene where the bait car is stopped to take custody of the suspect(s). 23. Take possession of the bait car for future placement. 24. Acquire a copy of the bait car activation incident log and include it in the case file. 6.215.3 Procedure for the Response to Bait Mopeds Page 3 of 5 LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 6.215 POLICY AND PROCEDURE Bait Car Program Effective: 5/2016 VIPER Enforcement Detail will: 18. Coordinate the program with support from other departmental units. 19. Acquire mopeds for use as bait. 20. Determine the location (through crime analysis or other means) where the bait moped should be parked, and relocates the bait moped according to any new trends. 21. Ensure the bait moped is equipped with the tracking system and that the system is in good working order. 22. Monitor the bait moped periodically to ensure it is in good operational condition. 23. Respond to the scene where the bait moped is stopped to take custody of the suspect(s). 24. Take possession of the bait moped for future placement. 25. Acquire a copy of the bait moped activation incident log and include it in the case file. Page 4 of 5 LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT 6.215 POLICY AND PROCEDURE Bait Car Program Effective: 5/2016 In those cases where there is damage committed to a bait vehicle believed to have been caused by the suspect, the VIPER detective in charge of the case will: 1. Ensure that a description of the damage, how/why the suspect is responsible for the damage, and a statement that a repair estimate will soon follow is included in the arrest report. 2. Ensure that the department’s willingness to seek restitution for the damage is documented on the pre-discovery form (blue sheet) and sent with the arrest packet. 3. Complete a Clark County District Attorney’s Office Request for Restitution form and submits it with the arrest packet. 4. As soon as practical, coordinate with the LVMPD Fleet Section to get a written repair estimate for the damage to the bait car or moped. 5. Coordinate with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office to get that written estimate of repairs to the prosecuting attorney before the preliminary hearing for the suspect. Bait vehicles are covert tools used for the reduction of auto theft. When a suspect is arrested for stealing a bait vehicle, he will not be advised that he was driving a bait vehicle. Neither information about the types of bait vehicles used nor the number of bait vehicles in the LVMPD fleet will be released to any entity unless authorized by the Theft Crimes Bureau Commander, except: 1. Other law enforcement agencies that operate in Clark County 2. Mandatory quarterly information provided to the Fiscal Affairs Committee. (7/15, 5/16)■ Page 5 of 5