Fargo Police use IAU to reduce vehicle break-ins near NDSU

(Fargo, ND) -- The Fargo Police Department is using its Intelligence and Analysis Unit to reduce a pattern of vehicle break-ins near the North Dakota State University campus.

In September, IAU observed a pattern of vehicle break-ins along Dakota Drive North near the campus of NDSU, with 13 vehicles broken into on 12 separate days. This much activity indicated that the neighborhood was a hotspot for these incidents.

With a coordinated effort including the Neighborhood Services Division on targeted patrols in the area, the number of vehicle break-ins dropped 92% from 13 in September to one in October. Officer-initiated field contacts in the area also increased from three in September to 12 in October, which was a 300% jump.

Police say patrols like these could be done in other problem areas when issues arise.