NCJ Number
130304
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 60 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1991) Pages: 6-10
Date Published
1991
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Although most police departments do not have specific departments dealing with fences and have difficulty building and prosecuting cases, a program operated by the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has taken steps to curtail fencing operations.
Abstract
The fence determines who will receive stolen goods and converts the stolen property into cash for the thief. Often a thief acts as his own fence, selling goods in the underground market. Most fences, however, are established businesspersons who may also run legitimate operations. Laws dealing with the receipt of stolen property require that police prove the recipient know it was stolen. Sting operations, used by many departments, are expensive and labor intensive. The Washington, D.C. Repeat Offender Program (ROP) was initiated to enforce the Stolen Property Statute of 1982, which made any involvement with stolen property a felony. Officers participating in ROP were allowed to use any legal, moral, and ethical means to arrest persons committing five or more Part I offenses per week, including fences. ROPTIDE, the D.C.-FBI joint effort, targets theft from new home construction sites, home and office burglars and their fences, and professional and repetitive auto thieves and their outlets. The lead investigators plan an investigative strategy which is carried out using surveillance, informants, analysis of telephone records, and other techniques. ROPTIDE has been successful in curtailing fencing operations in the D.C. area. 5 notes