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Child Abduction Solved

August 1, 2002

On August 1st at approximately 1030pm, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department responded to a complaint of a parental abduction. The offender/father had taken his children, ages one and three, and failed to return them to the mother at the expected time. The father was under severe stress due to a failing marriage, a recently issued restraining order and work-related difficulties. When he finally contacted the mother, he insinuated that she would never see either him or the children ever again.

Fearing for the safety of the children, the mother phoned the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Upon our officer’s arrival, a BOLO was issued. Misleading information, provided via cellphone by the father to the mother, led officers to believe he was either in the north end of our City, in the nearby unincorporated areas, the city of Oakland Park or Lauderdale by the Sea.

Officers from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, deputies from the Broward Sheriff’s Office/Oakland Park District and officers from Lauderdale by the Sea Police Department then conducted a massive search of these areas. Unfortunately, they were unable to locate the offender and he soon terminated contact with the mother.

Nearly two hours passed before phone contact was re-established. During this call, he repeatedly threatened to harm the children by way of carbon monoxide poisoning. By now, Fort Lauderdale officers had again made contact with the mother and were providing her with directions to negotiate the childrens’ safe release. A coordinated effort by the Fort Lauderdale Police Communications Center, the main BSO Communications Center and the cell phone provider, Voice Stream, enabled our officers to triangulate the offender’s location which was, surprisingly, in Miami, not locally as had been expected.

Direct contact was made with the Miami Police Department and they were provided with all the necessary information. Within 30 minutes, the offender had been located and taken into custody without further incident. The children were recovered unharmed.

This incident demonstrated a highly successful intra-departmental effort and conclusion by a multitude of law enforcement agencies and communication centers across county lines.

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Great Detective Work

August 16, 2002

Detective Rich Rodriguez

Outstanding work on the downtown robbery arrests (Alexander, Boydd and Young).

You coordinated a well thought out plan of action with Patrol and TAC units. Following a surveillance of a designated perimeter area you observed the violators as they attempted an armed robbery of a pedestrian at 400 SW 2 Street. Three violators were arrested after a brief foot pursuit.

These arrests will both clear old cases and prevent new ones. Outstanding police work!

Thank you,

Al Ortenzo
Assistant Chief

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Fugitives Captured

For the past 4 months Fugitive Detectives Chuck Morrow and John Curry have been conducting investigations into the whereabouts of three fugitives being sought by the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Fugitive charges included murder in the first-degree, attempted murder in the first-degree, armed robberies, armed bank robberies and kidnapping. Numerous surveillances were utilized throughout Fort Lauderdale, Pompano, Hollywood and Miami. The fugitives are cocaine traffickers who travel throughout South Florida and frequent several businesses in Fort Lauderdale. Investigation revealed that the fugitives had entered the United States illegally and assumed other identities. They had false documents including driver licenses, social security cards along with vehicles registered to them. Detectives Morrow and Curry developed detailed information on the fugitives after several interviews with confidential informants and street sources. An immediate request was made to the Royal Bahamas Police for fingerprints, photos and arrests warrants on Daron Pratt and Hugo Stubbs. Immigration was then contacted in order to obtain an arrest detainer. It was determined that both subjects knew each other and frequented a business in Fort Lauderdale together.

On June 10, 2002 surveillance determined that both subjects were in the area of A Auto Body Shop, 800 NW 10 Terrace. Detective Morrow requested assistance from Patrol and K-9. By this time US Immigration agents and US Marshals had responded. Detective Morrow requested that surveillance be continued until both fugitives made contact with each other. After approximately one hour both the fugitives met at the business and entered a vehicle. At this point a perimeter has already been established. A felony car stop was made and both fugitives were taken into custody. Both Pratt and Stubbs denied their true identity, but with the assistance of the Chief fingerprint examiner Carl Ciotola and members of the fingerprint unit, a positive identification was made on both. Daron Pratt was wanted for a 2001 murder in Freeport and Hugo Stubbs was wanted for a 1993 attempted murder in Nassau as well as his involvement in a murder that occurred in Dade County. Both subjects were turned over to the Bahamian government.

Detectives Morrow and Curry then continued with an investigation into the whereabouts of another violent fugitive wanted in the Bahamas, Julian King, who was wanted for armed bank robbery charges. King was a detective with a Royal Bahamas Police Force when he robbed a bank in Nassau in 1996. He fled the islands and has been on the run ever since. Again detectives developed information that King was in the Fort Lauderdale area during a several week surveillance. Detective Morrow observed King driving a vehicle in the 2600 block of NW 31 Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. Detective Morrow continued to follow King while requesting assistance from patrol to stand by. US Marshals were also contacted and assisted with the surveillance. After 2 hours King was observed exiting an apartment complex and reenter the vehicle. A felony car stop was conducted and King was arrested. King also denied his true identity and had falsified documents in his possession. Fingerprint comparison was conducted and once again proved him to be Julian King. After an interview with US Immigration King admitted to the bank robbery and that he was a detective at the time he committed the robbery. King will also be taken back to the Bahamas accordingly.

Since April of this year Fugitives Detectives Chuck Morrow and John Curry have been able to apprehend 3 murder fugitives and 1 armed bank robbery fugitive, a former law enforcement officer, all wanted by the authorities in the Bahamas.

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CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
JULY 2002

PSA PATTI DUBE
PSA WANDA SAPPINGTON

In the Spring of 2002, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department needed to update the department’s Hurricane Manual for the upcoming hurricane season that would begin on June 1, 2002.

Captain Ralph Nelson asked both of you to assist him in this assignment. You both agreed and over the following days and weeks, whenever your normal work schedule allowed, you took on the task, working at times together and other times individually.

Working from copies of the previous hurricane manual’s lists of hotels, motels, condos, nursing homes, mobile home parks and other areas that would need to be evacuated, you called each one and verified the information to make sure the phone numbers were still correct, as well as the contact person and manager or owner information. You had to confirm which locations had handicapped people who would need assistance in evacuating. This was a very time consuming process.

After verifying the previous year’s information, you then went to the beach area in Districts one and three and went up and down each street to confirm what places were there, listing all the new locations due to the building and changes that have gone on in that area. You then followed up by obtaining the new address, phone, manager/owner information, and emergency call out numbers.

All of this took a great deal of time and patience. You had to manage your time well, stay organized, keep detailed information, and accomplish this task in a timely manner.

Thank you for the extra effort and hard work you devoted to this task. Your efforts made this a successful accomplishment. Congratulations on a job well done!

Bruce G. Roberts
Chief of Police

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CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
AUGUST 2002

JEFF DAVIS

Two years ago, the Police Department embarked on a huge project, the Personally Assigned Vehicle Program (PAVe). As the Police Department’s Fleet Coordinator, you were called upon to play a key role in the success of the project, and to act as liaison with City Fleet Division. The project involved accumulating data on vehicle operations regarding cost, replacement, and predicted savings to present to the City Commission.

With the success of the PAVe program in full swing, you have coordinated the delivery of over 145 additional marked police sedans and vans into the Fleet. In addition, you have assisted Fleet Services by doing decal work to include the police web site on over 150 marked vehicles saving the Department over $1,500.00.

In conjunction with the PAVe project, the Police Department was attempting to obtain several high priced state-of-the-art specialty vehicles, to include the Mobile Command Vehicle, SWAT trucks and Bomb trucks. Your assistance in working with designers, dealers, Fleet and City Purchasing was invaluable and greatly assisted in making those purchases a success.

In addition to your Fleet duties, you have been the Acting Police Supply Supervisor since April 5, 2002. Even with this added responsibility, you were still able to coordinate and resolve all Fleet matters in a timely manner.

Your commitment has had a positive impact on the Police Department and the City of Fort Lauderdale.

Congratulations on a job well done!

Bruce G. Roberts
Chief of Police

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F.I.D.O. Arrests

August 27, 2002

Contact:

Alison D. Hibbert, Public Information Specialist (954) 828-4749/alisonh@fortlauderdale.gov

Fort Lauderdale Police Identify and Arrest Members of Organized Auto Theft Group in Operation F.I.D.O.

Fort Lauderdale – Auto theft in the City of Fort Lauderdale is on the rise, or is it? At the end of each school year, most police departments will notice a rise in crimes committed by area youth. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is no different.

Since May 2002, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) recognized an increase in the number of stolen vehicles within City limits. Cars were stolen, taken for joy rides and dropped off without major damage – all the signs of juvenile offenders.

In a proactive effort to combat these types of crimes before they progressed to more serious crimes, FLPD Canine Unit initiated Operation F.I.D.O. (Focused Intelligence Development Operation). The goal of this cooperative effort between the K-9 Unit and Auto Theft Division was to identify and apprehend auto theft criminals and recover as many stolen vehicles as possible in a short amount of time.

According to Detective Robert Dietrich Jr., who is responsible for auto theft in Police District Two (mid- and downtown Fort Lauderdale), the hardest part of this operation is adjudicating the juvenile offenders. Many of them are arrested several times in a week because the law states that they must be at least 14 years old with three arrests to be adjudicated as adults, he said.

“We’ve been able to identify and arrests these youngsters in a relatively short amount of time. That’s the good part,” said Dietrich. “The tough part of the job is having these kids charged as adults. Most of the kids who are arrested are so young that the courts can’t do anything to them and they are back on the streets in a matter of hours.”

Despite the lack of adjudication, Operation F.I.D.O. has been extremely successful. The operation, which was active from May 5 through August 5, is credited with the following:

• Recovery of 45 stolen vehicles
  Three were taken in carjacking incidents, one in the burglary of a business and one in a residential burglary (property recovered)
• Arrests of 46 auto theft criminals
• Total estimated value of the vehicles that were recovered is $394,200.00.

“Operation F.I.D.O. was a phenomenal effort put forth by the canine unit,” said Sergeant John Eaves. “The officers involved met and exceeded the goals set forth in the action plan.”

The information gathered from arrests and subsequent interviews has been shared with several jurisdictions outside the city limits and has assisted those agencies with the identification and arrests of auto thieves in their respective areas, said Dietrich.

Dietrich encourages all vehicle owners to take precautions in securing their property. “Always be aware that your property is a potential target,” he said. “Criminals don’t discriminate. We are all walking targets.”

Every vehicle owner should follow these auto theft prevention tips:

• Lock vehicles at all times. Do not leave keys in the ignition.
• Use an anti-theft locking device on your steering wheel.
• Secure valuables in trunk before arriving at your destination.
• Be sure your Vehicle Identification Number is etched on all glass. FLPD will host a free Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Etching and Club Giveaway at Parker Playhouse on Saturday, September 14th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parker Playhouse is located at 707 N.E. 8th Street in Fort Lauderdale.

“Our K-9 unit will continue to invest a significant amount of time combating auto theft. Our officers will continue to communicate and share intelligence with our auto theft detectives and the appropriate zone officers regarding suspects and geographic locations where stolen vehicles are deposited,” said Captain Scott Israel. “Our goal is to continue to reduce auto thefts in our city and improve the quality of life for our citizens.”

For more information about preventing auto thefts, please contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department Auto theft Division at (954) 828-5563.

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