NCJ Number
130683
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 60 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1991) Pages: 16-17
Date Published
1991
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Miami Police Department established Operation STAR (Safeguarding Tourists Against Robberies) to protect tourists from criminals and keep the city attractive to vacationers.
Abstract
The program was established in response to an increase in robberies involving tourists. Offenders would target people driving rental vehicles, knowing that the occupants were out of town and carried money, cameras, and other valuables. Operation STAR is a decoy operation, in which a female decoy officer would stop the car in a targeted area and either raise the hood or use a pay telephone. Other officers in an undercover car observed and videotaped the decoy. The police invited news personnel from a local television station to ride with the STAR teams to give wide publicity to the program. As a result, criminals became wary of tourists. During the initial operation the city has experienced a 12-percent reduction in robberies. The success of Operation STAR has led the police to form a new unit that will work only decoy operations. Photograph