“When you combine proper coordination, precision policing, and technology you get results,” said Sergeant Sean Finnegan of the 103rd Precinct Anti-Crime Team.
Observation, patience, and department technology helped Queens police officers arrest a man wanted for 10 gunpoint robberies. On Tuesday January 30, members of the 103rd Precinct Anti-Crime Team were on the lookout for a black Acura that was used in multiple gas station robberies across Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The vehicle was being driven on a smaller “donut” spare tire in each of the incidents. They spotted a car fitting that description and used their department-issued smartphones to check if the vehicle was stolen or wanted in connection to previous crimes. This new technology allowed them to have handheld access to the type of information that previously would have required a dashboard mounted computer.
A day earlier the suspect had been identified from video footage of one of the robberies. When the vehicle and suspect information matched, the police officers knew that it was just a matter of time when the man would return to his car. Shortly thereafter, their patience paid off and they noticed the man get in the Acura and drive away. The police officers followed the suspect in two unmarked cars until he made a traffic infraction and they stopped him at 107 Ave. and Guy R. Brewer Blvd. They strategically maneuvered their police vehicles on either side of the suspect’s car so he could not flee and then placed him under arrest without incident.
There were seven robberies in Queens, one in Brooklyn, and one in Staten Island. It was later determined that the man had robbed a gas station in Nassau County, Long Island, one day earlier.
Arrested: Male, 31 years old
Charges: Robbery (multiple counts)
