August 30, 2002

Arlington Police Announce Plan to Combat Forgery

The Arlington Police Department is cracking down on identity thieves and people who write forged checks.

Specifics of the plan will be announced during a press conference at 2 p.m. Friday at the Ott Cribbs Public Safety building at 620 W. Division St. Supervisors from the Economic Crimes and Crime Prevention units will be present. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Alan Levy is also scheduled to attend.

The plan, dubbed Operation Thumbs Up, will involve Arlington businesses obtaining a thumbprint or fingerprint from customers who wish to pay with a check. The purpose of the plan is to reduce the number of forged checks and to help identify a suspect when a forged check is passed.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2002, the Police Department is requesting voluntary compliance from Arlington businesses in obtaining a legible print. The print requirement is expected to act as a deterrent to criminals during the upcoming holiday shopping season. Many businesses and banks already require a print from customers as part of their individual business practices, resulting in a 50 to 90 percent reduction in forgeries.

The Police Department has discussed the plan with several retailers and will hold public meetings to offer training on the proper method of inkless-pad print-taking. The Department will also provide businesses with posters that explain the new requirement to customers.

        Arlington statistics show a steady three-year increase in forged check cases. From 1999 to July 2002, Arlington detectives worked 8,463 forged check cases that resulted in a $1.7 million loss to Arlington merchants. The FBI estimates total losses for commercial banks and other institutions nationally to be $12 billion to $15 billion annually.

        Sgt. James Crouch, who supervises the Economic Crimes Unit, said requiring a print on checks is the most effective way to reduce forgeries and to solve them. "We expect to see a drastic reduction in the number of forged checks presented to merchants," Sgt. Crouch said. "The new requirement will cost merchants very little, but can save them thousands of dollars."

Criminals often steal checks from mailboxes or during burglaries, or find more ingenious ways to steal a person's identity, said Sgt. Andy Garcia, Crime Prevention Unit supervisor. The new policy will thwart those criminals and prevent people from being victimized further.

"The thought of leaving a print will make some people change their mind before committing a crime. If not, we have a way to track them down," Sgt. Garcia said. "Criminals can steal or duplicate driver's licenses and checks, but they can't take your fingerprints."
 
Media contact: Sgt. James Crouch, 817/459-5626
Sgt. Andy Garcia, 817/459-5725