Cops - Season 3 Episode 19

(Truck Sting Operation Briefing) Jersey City - Captain Bobby Martin says many trucks are getting broken into and getting hit heavy after getting steered off the turnpike down one way streets with no way to turn around. Conrail loaned them a surveillance van used in Boston. Chief Inspector Art Dunn from the Conrail PD shows it off on the inside. Zenith gave them empty VCR, camcorder and TV boxes and they are glued and taped together to look flush. The giant crate on the left side is where the cops hide and it opens up to block the thieves in by wedging against the with a board on the floor. It's set up nice so they'll run inside and grab the equipment. They are in back of the projects. Officer Paul is driving the 18 wheeler Trailvan and pretends he broke down. He gets out, pops the hood and a black guy comes right up to him, then Paul leaves it. Seconds later three black kids come up to break the seal with a stick. (5:15 PM Truck Interior) Officer Andrew Lancellotti explains to the rest how many will come in and then they can open it. There's a bathroom and a long bench to sit inside the large crate. The kid in a white shirt and red shorts goes back to get a broom to break the seal. They are so excited when they get in and run saying "VCRs!!" Police jump them and they are surprised. They say they'll drive it over to Duncan and Sgt. Walter Barrett follows them over. They explain to Paul which way to turn and open the hood so they can see it better then he walks away from the truck. (7:55 PM) A black kid in white shorts works on the lock. He gets it open and excitedly signals his friends to come. When one joins him they jump them, but the second guy gets away. The first guy says they made him do it. When they pull him out of the truck a group of women laugh at him. He says he's 14. It starts to get dark so they call it off. He says they'll meet up and get them out of the back and they are thankful. Tomorrow they'll start earlier. Captain Bobby Martin says they did a good job yesterday and will do it again today. It's a big industry, a billion dollars a year of theft. They are going back to Duncan. We see cops have to enter the crate from a trapdoor in the bottom of the truck. They stop near a park and call the truck. They tell him to turn the nose their way. He pops the hood and fiddles with the engine to make it look good. He goes in and grabs his briefcase and walks away. (3:30 PM) There is a large pack of black men across the street. One of them grabs a screwdriver and heads over as another becomes a lookout. The guy gets the lock off and madly jumps in and is grabbed. The others jump through the door and grab the second guy. It's Christmas in August, they are setting up again. There are only certain streets in the city designated for trucks and people will steer them the wrong way so they can rob them. The move the truck to a new street. (6:15 PM) Four guys appear and one goes in the cab. A Hispanic man in a white hat pops the seal and calls to his buddies "VCRehs!" He grabs one, they jump him and drop out the bottom and grab the others. He says he has no dope on him, his hat comes off on the way out and says he's the only one to blame. He uses a hand pumper as the tool. It took only six minutes for them to park and break in. Captain Bobby Martin says they do a lot of proactive and reactive stuff patrolling hot areas where there are purse snatchings and house entries. Where there is bad crime they will set up and let them do the crime and catch them in the act, they are the witnesses in court. It's not a victim, it's the police as witnesses, so 9 times out of 10 they'll cop a deal. (12:10 AM Suspicious Situation) They spot Rob going in and out of a super market with a bag in the pouring rain. The bag was empty at first, now it's full. They watch him for a while to see where he goes. He goes up 5th and they stop him in the street. They ask if he bought the stuff, but he has no receipts. He threw them away and has no money...