Caught in the act
While working as a plain clothes patrol late one night, we spotted a couple of suspicious-looking characters hanging around a block of shops. We parked our unmarked car nearby and walked to where the males were standing. We tried getting them to approach us by using our cellphones, and even pretended to withdraw money from a nearby ATM. They wouldn’t leave where they were so we walked off around the block and watched them from the shadows behind a shop.
As we sat and waited, they began smashing the front window of the shop in front of us. The alarm went off and they started to walk off. We called for back-up and followed the men until marked patrols were close by.
We then grabbed them and began talking to them. As one of the men placed his hands into his pocket, a marked patrol arrived. Just as well, as the male was reaching for a knife. Both were charged with burglary.
It was one of my most satisfying catches, actually catching them in the act. Just what I joined the force to do.