Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 23, 2004

MTPD to conduct pickpocket/identity theft seminar class

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation

As part of the continuing series of Pickpocket and Identity Theft seminars, the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) will sponsor a seminar on Wednesday, March 24, 2004. The seminar will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in MTPD Training Room, located at Metro headquarters, 600 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC.Det. Cedric Mitchell, a national recognized expert in the field, will host the seminar along with a special guest, a former pickpocket, who will speak to seminar participants and provide them with insight on how pickpockets think and apply their trade. The guest speaker spent 20 years in this criminal endeavor. Since being released from prison, she has been working and attending school, in a continuing effort to turn her life around. Det. Mitchell was recently featured on the " Montel Williams Show" , as well as " Court TV," and " Good Morning America" (along with the former pickpocket). Det. Mitchell was interviewed this past January by The Houston Chronicle for a story about robbery pickpocket crimes during Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was held in Houston, TX. USA Today did a story in June about Det. Mitchell, and he was also a guest on the New York City radio show called " The Dolans." " As the summer season fast approaches and people increase their outdoor actives, this seminar comes at a time when it is vitally important to remind customers what they can do to avoid becoming victims of this crime," noted Metro Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson. " The summer season is one of the times during the year which those who commit this crime increase their activity," she said. " While police departments in the region have rightly focused their attention on terrorism alertness and prevention, criminals have not stopped committing other forms of crime. Pickpockets continue to stay under the radar of the public and most law enforcement. In addition, the crime leading from pickpocketing is identity theft," noted Det. Mitchell. The Federal Trade Commission recently issued an Alert to the public warning of identity theft. It is estimated that about 27.3 million people have been victims of identity theft in the past five years. Washington, DC leads the United States in identity theft occurrences.Officers and investigators from the following police departments will be in attendance: Amtrak, United States Park PD, Maryland Transportation Authority PD, Maryland State PD, Annapolis PD, University of Maryland PD, Riverdale PD, Arlington County PD, as well as security personal from the MCI Center. Some of the officers will make up the plain clothes units of their departments, therefore, media will not be able to film those officers attending the class.Class participants will learn how pickpockets ply their trade, how they pick their victims, how they steal victims" identities, the kind of jargon they use, how they learn to become pickpockets, and more. The officers also will be able to take information back to their jurisdictions and organizations to provide to those they serve on how to prevent themselves from being victimized by this crime.In addition to class time, participants will travel to Metro Center (13th and G streets, NW entrance) at 1 p.m., to observe Det. Mitchell and his team demonstrate ways in which people become victims of pickpockets. " The crime of identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the nation. Anything we can do to give citizens information for protecting themselves is a prevention tool for them," said Det. Mitchell. This crime occurs mostly in crowds at malls, theaters, museums, bus stations, airports, stadiums, train stations, art galleries, department stores, grocery stores, street corners, and more. " While certain times of the year may see an intensification of this crime, such as the holidays, summer time is another period when pickpockets intensify their efforts, especially when tourists are in town," Det. Mitchell says.

News release issued on March 23, 2004.