So far, fifty more people have been victims of a burglary this year over last year. The disturbing numbers are something a new enforcement team is looking to reverse.
The enforcement team will include many officers who are part of the successful auto theft team. They will be using several of the same strategies to zero in on those burglars who are constantly stealing.
Police officers recorded a bust as undercover officers bought a stolen AK47 and a car in a Southeast Fresno parking lot.
Investigators believe the high powered assault weapon was taken during a burglary.
Police say Ae Hanevichit provided the gun in the deal and Erik Macias brought the stolen car.
Although police they belong to different gangs, investigators say they are involved in different crimes, but partner up to make money. It means victims are violated by many people- time and time again.
Tim Tietjen said, "Here's the reality, they're going to break in, they are going to take your property, they are going to take your TV's your jewelry, they are going to take your jewelry and personal effects and they are going to put it in your car and drive it out of your garage."
Members of the Career Criminal Burglary Apprehension Team aren't sitting around in neighborhoods waiting for burglars to show up. They are working with detectives in hotspots and picking out suspects with prior histories who are known to favor that particular area. Then they are tracking those individuals.
Police have learned that where they find stolen cars, they often recover stolen property taken in another crime.
Investigators busted a chop shop in Northwest Fresno last week where countless items stolen in many other crimes were discovered.
Detectives see numbers not only as statistics but victims who are forced to deal with the hardships caused by the losses.
The Career Criminal Apprehension Team is hoping for the same success they've found in stopping auto theft. In fact Wednesday, there was only one car stolen in the city of Fresno.
"The true story is these are people, 800 less victims of crimes in the city," Tim Tietjen said. "The single mother that has her car that drives that to work everyday that needs that car."
Burglary is up three percent right now over last year, but detectives hope the rate will dip since they are starting stepped up efforts. Burglary is a big problem in Northeast and Northwest Fresno.
