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Special BSO Unit Captures Repeat Offenders On Surveillance Tape

WESTON (CBS4) - Broward Sheriff Scott Israel calls it "intelligence-led policing at its best."

BSO says three repeat offenders with a history of burglaries and grand theft were captured on surveillance tape and arrested Tuesday after ransacking a Weston home and stealing a safe, jewelry and cash.

What was unusual about this bust is that BSO knew about the burglars plans, had contacted the homeowner in the Savanna neighborhood in Weston and detectives were waiting for the culprits when they left the home.

The arrests happened as a result of work done by V.I.P.E.R., which is BSO's Violence Intervention Proactive Enforcement Response unit.

Hundreds of criminals have been arrested since the unit was created last year.

Detectives use special intelligence-gathering techniques and tips from sources to target active criminals with significant arrest histories.

"This is intelligence-led policing at its best," Israel told CBS4's Peter D'Oench.

"That is why I created the V.I.P.E.R. Unit, to target active criminals with histories like these three have. The detectives knew these suspects were going to commit a crime before they even drove into Broward County. That is one of the reasons why the rate of violent crime has dropped in this county."

Last August when CBS4 first profiled the V.I.P.E.R. unit, Israel said, "We don't want to respond to crime. We want to prevent crime. We have to go after the most heinous people committing those crimes. That's what we've done."

In this latest case, BSO says it was 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday when 23-year-old Tiwana Jackson walked up to the home and knocked on the door.

When no one answered, BSO says Jackson's accomplices slipped in a sliding-glass door while she acted as a lookout.

BSO says those accomplices were Gabriel Soto of Miami and Brandon Guerrero of Coral Gables. Both are 19-years-old.

Detectives with the V.I.P.E.R. Unit, BSO's Burglary Apprehension Team (BAT) Task Force and Weston district deputies arrested them afterward. Each person was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft.

BSO spokeswoman Dani Moschella says each person has been arrested before for robbery and  burglary. She says Soto's been arrested before for grand theft auto and armed carjacking.

Moschella also says Guerrero has been arrested before for grand theft, grand theft auto and armed robberies. Jackson has been charged with grand theft in the past.

Because of their arrest histories, bond for Soto and Guerrero was set at $350,000. If they are able to post that bond, they'll have to wear GPS monitors.

Bond for Jackson was set at $175,000.

To report tips that can help BSO's BAT Task Force combat burglaries, call (954) 321-4796.

Or you provide anonymous tips to Broward County Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS (8477) or to www.browardcrimestoppers.org online.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $3,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

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