CHPD: Bait cars, packages in use to reduce holiday theft

As Christmas approaches and gift shopping and package deliveries reach their seasonal high, Citrus Heights police announced they are deploying extra officers, bait vehicles, and bait packages to help reduce theft during the holiday season this year.

Although bait vehicles have been used in Citrus Heights for several years, Police Lt. Jason Russo said that “bait packages” are also being used, “in hopes to reduce crime [and] have the criminals think twice before committing crimes in Citrus Heights.”

Other law enforcement agencies are also testing out bait packages to nab thieves, with Rancho Cordova police gaining attention earlier this month when Fox40 and USA Today reported that detectives had partnered with retailers to have GPS tracking devices placed in random packages and then delivered to doorsteps by UPS or other shipping services. As the “bait” contains real items and looks like any other package, an unsuspecting thief can then be tracked by police and arrested.

[Watch Fox40 video: Citrus Heights holiday package thief arrested]

According to Lt. Russo, bait vehicles in Citrus Heights also use tracking systems, which can either track the vehicle — if stolen — or track valuable items and packages stolen from the car. He said the vehicles are also equipped with recording capabilities and technology “just like on ‘Bait Car’,” a TV show about police using high-tech bait vehicles to arrest thieves.

Local bait vehicles look just like any other vehicle on the street and are strategically placed in areas where police have observed high theft or crime trends, according to Citrus Heights police. Although equipped to help officers track and arrest criminals, police have said a primary goal of the program is to prevent theft from happening in the first place — which is why large orange and black “bait vehicle” warning signs are often seen in high-traffic areas around Citrus Heights.

“We’re actually trying to publicize [the bait] to make people aware, so they think twice before stealing items in Citrus Heights,” Lt. Russo said. Another CHPD officer, Wesley Herman, previously told The Sentinel that bait vehicle signs help make Citrus Heights “the least attractive girl at the dance,” by notifying would-be thieves that unmarked, random vehicles in Citrus Heights are actively being tracked.

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Russo said residents can also reduce the likelihood of having a package stolen from their doorstep by following a few tips:

•Have your packages delivered to a location where they can be received in person, such as a your workplace or neighbor’s house, if allowed.
•Ask the delivery company to hold your package at their closest pick-up facility until you can pick it up.
•If purchasing from a larger retailer, consider having your package delivered to a local store for pick-up.
•Choose a specific delivery time when you will be home, if that is an option.
•Take advantage of delivery alerts so you can be notified when a package arrives at your home.
•Ask the shipper to require a signature confirmation of delivery, in order to prevent packages from being left when no one is home to sign for them.
•Provide delivery instructions so packages can be left out of sight from your yard or the road.

If a package does get stolen, Russo said residents should call CHPD’s non-emergency number at (916) 727-5500, as it helps police track neighborhood crime trends. He said even without a video or suspect description, reports could also lead to items being recovered in cases where the thieves were perhaps caught on video at a nearby home.

“If we get calls, we actively monitor — weekly and daily — if the location becomes a hotspot,” said Russo. Police resources are then “strategically deployed” based on crime reports, with “bait” possibly ending up near a location due to calls.

According to Lt. Russo, Citrus Heights also sees “numerous theft cases” everyday from thieves stealing items left in plain view inside locked or unlocked cars. He also said thefts of running vehicles tend to rise during colder weather, as drivers are more prone to leave a car running to warm it up and defrost windows.

Earlier this year, The Sentinel reported a local driver had his vehicle stolen after leaving it running while going into a gas station. It was recovered by Citrus Heights police several minutes later, after officers located the vehicle and the suspect fled on foot before being caught.

[From January: Driver gets stolen vehicle back after search leads to arrest in Citrus Heights]

Russo advised drivers to reduce “crimes of opportunity” by not storing valuables inside vehicles and always parking with doors locked and windows up — even if just running a quick errand.

Reducing 2015 holiday season crime against retailers and customers is a public safety objective listed in the City’s six-month strategic objectives. By March 1, 2016 Police Chief Christopher Boyd is scheduled to report the results of the effort to the city council, with crime data being compared to 2014.