APD Annual Reports - 2018 Annual Report | Page 18

Noteworthy Gun Crimes Unit – In coordination with the COPS Office, the department received a grant to create a new unit focused solely on gun crimes. The unit teamed up with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and works closely with the federal agency on gun cases in Arlington. ATF has committed two special agents that office within the department. The Gun Crimes Unit prioritizes responses to crimes involving firearms or ammunition. Evidence collected is entered into a national database utilizing a specialized computer. Detectives can receive leads on cases by cross- examining other cases around the country. Full Implementation of Body-Worn Camera Program – The department completed the roll out of body-worn cameras to all sworn officers at the rank of lieutenant and below. With 617 cameras currently deployed, over 348,000 videos consisting of 86,393 hours of footage, or 216 Terabytes, were uploaded in 2018. Social Media Tips on Solving Crime – The Media Office routinely receives requests from detectives to publish video and stills of suspects who need to be identified. Last year, 19 suspects were identified and arrested based upon the community tips after seeing social media posts on Facebook and Twitter. The crimes ranged from auto thefts to robberies. The NFL Draft was hosted in Arlington where more than 200,000 people visited AT&T Stadium over a 3-day period. 18 | 2018 Annual Report  Ballistic Level 3 Protection Armor – Officers were issued “Go Bags” that include a level 3 ballistic vest, a level 3 ballistic helmet, and a carrying bag to provide additional levels of protection in certain environments. The Arlington Police Foundation and a state grant assisted the department with providing this equipment to all sworn employees.