Police catch car break-in thief red handed

http://www.wsls.com/images/uploads/0208carbreakin.gif
Published: February 8, 2008

Roanoke police arrested a man on Thursday night, moments after he broke into a car.  They had been watching for him using computer data that suggested where he would strike next.

The dots on the computer screen paint a pattern of crime that police are getting better and better at reading.  They are spread out across 15-20 city blocks, each red mark a place where someone has broken into a car. 

Jennifer McKeldin is the city’s crime analyst.  She explains some of the other information that goes into the computer.  “What is the offender taking? How are they breaking into the car? Where in the city are they breaking into the car?”

Lt. Todd Clingenpeel who’s in charge of Zone 4 – essentially the city’s north west quadrant, drove us around the perimeter of the area depicted on the map, pointing out the many parking lots and hills and ridges that make it tough for police to observe. 

But the computer told them right where to go.

Using the data on the map, McKeldin and Lt. Clingenpeel decided that the offense might take place in the parking lot of Lucy Addison Middle School..  So they set up a stake out in a one block area.  They thought it would happen between 5 pm and 8 pm on a Thursday night, and sure enough the suspect showed up at 6:30.

Clingenpeel told WSLS-10 what his men watched as the suspect came into view. “He found a vehicle he was interested in.  He concealed himself in a bush a short distance away, for about 5 minutes. He walks back out and quickly popped the window with a screw driver reached in and grabbed the purse.”

After a short chase they caught 43 year old Keith Hamm.  Though he’s only charged with this break in, police believe he’s tied to as many as 30 car break-ins since December.

A big catch for them—and thanks to the computer they did it with just three men.  A big improvement over the old way.

“We would have probably had to have 15- 20 officers to cover this area.  And the operation we had last night using the info, date and time specific, we covered it with three officers,” Clingenpeel said.

Police tell WSLS-10 that most of the victims in this crime spree would not have been victims if they had not left valuables in plain view in their cars.  Police urge people to adhere to their “Lock it or Lose it” campaign to put valuables in the trunk if you must have them in your car at all.