APD Annual Reports - 2014 Annual Report | Page 33

Field Operations Bureau WestDistrict The West District focused on community engagement and crime reduction during 2014. The District made significant strides in both areas. Community watch groups grew by 14% and the district enjoyed a 32% increase of participation in National Night Out activities. The district collaborated with multiple outside agencies and hosted a huge neighborhood event in the Treepoint community with many city departments and external stakeholders. The event was deemed a great success and afforded apartment residents an opportunity to get to know their officers. Programs aimed at building trust between youth and police continued to make significant strides last year. Whether it was mentoring children at Wimbish Elementary, to attending events with the Arlington Boys and Girls Club at Shadow Brook Apartments, or participating in afterschool services at Park Springs Apartment Complex, the result was enhanced partnerships with our kids. There were some significant arrests made last year including arresting a serial burglar that was targeting homes and a repeat offender that was stealing air conditioners. In the first case, a serial burglar that had struck many homes in the West District, including houses in neighboring jurisdictions, was apprehended. The suspect ended up confessing to additional offenses. This demonstrated the great teamwork between APD, the Fort Worth Police, and Bedford Police Departments. In all, APD was able to link 7 residential burglary cases to the suspect. units from area businesses. Detectives worked with businesses to get the word out about the suspect through social media. As the investigation unfolded, detectives and the district’s crime analyst worked with Fort Worth Police to identify a suspect in the case. After arresting the suspect, APD was able to tie 20 Arlington cases to this one repeat offender. In 2014, officers were noticing a trend of stolen air conditioning The district also made extensive progress to complement crime prevention efforts through the use of volunteers. Whether it was handing out burglary of motor vehicle report cards, patrolling city streets as a COP Mobile member, or assisting with the annual warrant roundup, volunteers provide an invaluable service to our city and yield huge dividends in crime prevention efforts. 31