Client Spotlight
4/30/2009 – At approximately 1300 hours Lt. Brian Fanelli was on routine patrol in an unmarked police car in the town of Mount Pleasant. The Lt. observed a parked vehicle that was later identified as a red 2005 Dodge Neon with NY tags. At that time the driver of the vehicle turned on his hazard warning lights. As Lt. Fanelli’s patrol unit approached the car, he observed the driver and front passenger sitting upright and facing directly forward as if attempting to avoid face to face contact. Using the in-vehicle mobile computer, Lt. Fanelli processed a data check for the vehicle’s plate number.
Upon receiving the response from NYS DMV, the auto was registered to a party living in the Bronx. It was at that moment that Lt. Fanelli heard an audible sound which he believed was the burglar alarm of a residence very near where he observed that parked car with the flashing hazard lights. Lt. Fanelli turned the unmarked police vehicle around proceeding to the location of the resounding alarm. Upon his approach to the residence he had a brief encounter with a young woman who stated, “the guy just ran down the road and got in the parked car”.
The Lt. advised Headquarters that he was investigating an audible burglar alarm and transmitted all suspect vehicle information. The Lt. made a quick cursory check of the residence and soon found a ground level open window on the north side of the residence. He advised HQ that the call was now a probable burglary attempt.
At 1308 hrs Lt. Fanelli advised HQ to transmit a hotline message alerting the surrounding jurisdictions. Within minutes the Lt. observed a police helicopter searching the surrounding area while he conducted an initial neighborhood canvass, yielding further related data, including the identity of the home owner and their place of work, allowing the PD to make the property owner apprised of the situation. The neighborhood canvas also revealed information to help identify the suspect as a white male wearing a black Northface jacket. Pertinent information was made available to HQ and the other neighboring jurisdictions.
At approximately 1324 hours Lt. Fanelli was advised by HQ that the suspect vehicle was stopped by the Westchester County Police Department on the Bronx River Parkway north of the NYC line. At about the same time the property owner arrived on scene and the Lt. showed the opened window to the homeowner who confirmed that she had personally closed and locked that window. The owner unlocked the door to the residence whereas the Lt. and Police Office C. Franco conducted an interior search of the residence. During their search they located the point of entry and point of egress. The point of entry was in fact the same window found opened, whereas the suspect set off the alarm after advancing into the home some 15 feet. Lt. Fanelli notified HQ that this was now in fact a burglary.
As the Westchester PD had stopped the suspect vehicle and after questioning the driver and passengers the suspects confessed to 8 burglaries in the area. Not bad for 24 minutes of police work.Both the Town of Mount Pleasant and the Westchester County Police departments utilize Records Management and Mobile technology from IMPACT making the immediate acquisition of vehicle registration data and that of person’s history and other related information about this incident possible. IMPACT also is utilized to record, store and print the necessary forms to process cases, incidents and arrests quickly allowing officers to return to patrol as fast as possible making our communities safer for all.
This is just one story of many where IMPACT was used as an effective tool to fight crime and to help make the world safer through technology.