SAFETY ALERT

On 12-1-08 a parent dropped off her child at Sanders Elementary School and left her
vehicle for less than two minutes. When she returned her window was smashed
and her purse was missing. Our county has seen a recent surge in this activity with
the last time occurring in August at day care centers and pre-schools in Land O’
Lakes. It appears the group is back. The group, referred to as Felony Lane, is an
elaborate organization and operates as follows:

1) A group of black males identified as having dread locks set up

surveillance on a school or other areas such as day care centers that have
drop offs. Often they enlist others to assist them and the actual suspects
are not actually seen until they are committing the crime.
2) The suspects wait for mothers to leave their vehicles to take their
children inside.
3) The suspects then immediately approach the vehicle, smash the window,
steal the woman’s purse and flee the area. Suspect vehicles vary in each
case (recently a red 4 door Saturn was used).
4) The suspects then enlist the aid of usually white females and provide
them with wigs and disguises. The females then immediately go to banks
across the Hillsborough County line and empty the bank account.

The thieves last struck our county in August in the area of Collier and SR 54, which
is just north of the county line. All schools are encouraged to increase
supervision in the morning at the PLACE Programs and other times when
parents are dropping off children. Those schools just above the county line
are asked to be especially vigilant.

The Pasco Sheriff’s Office is conducting surveillance within our manpower limits, but we have
reason to believe this criminal network has their own surveillance looking for law enforcement.

School employees who observe suspicious persons or vehicles near their

school are asked to notify law enforcement immediately. If a school employee
should encounter one of these crimes in progress, they should not intervene in
any way and should take immediate steps to ensure their personal safety and
the safety of others in the area.