Full Notification

Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson has ordered the initiation of a city-wide task force to address a spike in robberies that have been occurring. The taskforce will consist of department personnel from specialized units and patrol resources. Intelligence sharing with field personnel will be enhanced so officers have the most up-to-date information and commanders can deploy resources in hot spot locations where these crimes are most likely to occur.

Operation Safety Net will begin today, Monday, March 21, 2016. An ending date for the task force has not been determined. Public cooperation will be a key component during this initiative as the department will publish available photographs of robbery suspects and video on active offenders that the department needs the community’s help to identify and locate.

“An uptick in violent offenses is being experienced in the largest cities in the nation. Arlington and other communities in North Texas are not immune from this trend. This taskforce will seek to identify and respond to robbery patterns by using effective crime analysis, to effectively target known offenders and gang members for effective enforcement in Arlington, and to collaborate with regional and federal partners to address criminals crossing jurisdictional boundaries,” said Chief Johnson.

The public will likely see an increase in visible patrol and traffic stops in hot spot areas where robberies are most often occurring. High visibility enforcement coupled with targeting known offenders and gang members will be conducted day and night during the taskforce operational period.

The public can also assist the department by being our extra eyes and ears in neighborhoods. Community members should report suspicious activity to law enforcement. Citizens can stay connected by following weekly updates of taskforce operations on APD’s social media platforms.