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Northwest Division - Divisional Tactical Unit and the Hot Spot Squad
Northwest Division - Divisional Tactical Unit and the Hot Spot Squad successfully identified a serial robbery ring operating in Northwest Houston. The investigation results in the arrest of two aggravated robbery suspects who had terrorized our Northwest community for many months. The safe apprehension of the two aggra...vated robbery suspects resulted in the clearing of 25 active robbery cases in our city. Members of our Divisional Crime Analysis Unit identified a pattern of aggravated robberies plaguing our community. This information was quickly disseminated and forwarded to our Divisions Tactical Unit (DTU) and Hot Spot Squad. A plan of action was soon developed utilizing numerous investigative strategies that were soon put into motion in an attempt to thwart the rash of aggravated robberies. In one case investigated, officers of our DTU obtained a video image of one of the suspects by tracing a complainant’s debit card taken in one of the robberies and used later at a convenience store off of the Beltway in North Command. A license plate was identified and we were hot on their trail. Surveillance began in an area identified by our Divisional Crime Analysis Unit as a region primed for an occurrence. The surveillance lasted about a week and a half before we successfully nabbed our main suspect. On January 20, 2010 members of our Division’s Tactical Unit and Hot Spot Squad were in the target area when an in-progress robbery call dropped on our channel involving a description of our suspect. One of the TAC team officers spotted a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed away from the location that matched the suspect’s vehicle. The Hot Squad stopped the vehicle using their marked unit without incident. A gun used in the robbery was recovered along with numerous items taken in multiple robberies. Officers involved continued to work each case backwards to identify additional complainants, unsolved cases and an unknown accomplice.
On January 26, 2010, members of our TAC squad assisted Robbery investigators in the positive identification and arrest of a second suspect, who along with his accomplice was responsible for committing over twenty five aggravated robberies in the Houston area. The suspects were taken into custody and formally charged.
Unfortunately many serial aggravated robbery suspects grow more and more brazen with every offence they commit. With time and experience many grow more apt to use deadly force in achieving their criminal goals. The swift, professional, and cooperative work done by our Northwest Division’s Crime Analysis Unit, TAC and Hot Spot Squad’s, and our departments Robbery Division attributed to the identification and arrest of these two felons before their behavior could escalate into something worse.