Behind the Scenes

Pedro Dos Santos was arrested on February 1, 2010 as he was leaving a burglary scene. As the result of a lengthy investigation, Dos Santos has been implicated in at least 24 Boca Raton residential break-ins. To learn more about this case, check out the video at www.bocaviper.com

This case involved several different elements of the department, including patrol officers, tactical unit members, property detectives, special investigators and crime scene technicians. It was truly a team effort.

During the Dos Santos investigation, we took in close to 600 pieces of evidence. Our evidence technicians, the folks who handle all of the property that we receive at the Police Department, worked long hours and through the weekend, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to getting the job done right for the victims and the detectives.

What really impressed me was how our techs got to know our victims. As new evidence was brought into the station, they were able to identify what property belonged to which victim, simply based on their knowledge of the people they met during previous interactions.

We were able to return 345 pieces of jewelry, several cameras, multiple GPS units, a laptop, and a firearm to several victims in this case. I am sure that there is a significant dollar value associated with this returned property. However, in an age when "return on investment" is so important, it's nice to have employees who understand that going the extra mile is priceless.