News Release Incident: DDACTS/ Arrest

Date of Print: 05/25/2012

The Egg Harbor Township Police Department first formally implemented the DDACTS model in December of 2011 as an objective in the continual development of a “smart policing philosophy.”

Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) is a law enforcement operational model supported by a partnership among the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and two agencies of the Department of Justice: theBureau of Justice Assistance and theNational Institute of Justice.

DDACTS integrates location-based crime and traffic crash data to determine the most effective methods for deploying law enforcement and other resources. Drawing on the deterrent value of highly visible traffic enforcement and the knowledge that crimes often involve motor vehicles, the goal of DDACTS is to reduce crime, crashes, and traffic violations across the country.

On Wednesday May 23rd, Egg Harbor Township Police K-9 Ptlm. Mark Mensch arrested Matthew Hauser, 22 of Egg Harbor Township and Thomas Sullivan, 25 of Egg Harbor Township while on a DDACTS assignment on the Black Horse Pike. Hauser had a pre-existing criminal warrant for his arrest. A subsequent consent to search the vehicle was granted, and stolen property was recovered.

As the result of an on-going investigation being conducted by Detective Scott Hiltner, Hauser has been charged with Theft, Burglary, Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary, Theft by Deception and Receiving Stolen Property. Sullivan was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Burglary. Although this investigation is continuing, both suspects have been linked to a series of vehicle burglaries that have taken place in Egg Harbor Township over the past several weeks. The Hon. H.R. Switzer, J.M.C. was contacted and set Hauser’s bail at $25,000.00 cash while Sullivan’s was set at $15,000.00 10%. Both subjects were transported to and lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

These arrests are being viewed by the police department as an example of how using data driven analysis to deploy police officers in areas of heavy traffic and high call volume, at optimal times of day, can result not only in a reduction in motor vehicle accidents but a reduction in crime and criminal activity as well. DDACTS has proven to be an effective and efficient means of deploying limited resources. In a comparative analysis of crime and crashes in the first quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2011 indicate a 21% decrease in reported crash incidents and a 15% decrease in reported crime incidents.

While it is too early to accurately predict that this rate of crash and crime reduction will continue, we are very pleased with the efforts of the men and women of the police department and the early results of their efforts. As an Agency we collectively look forward to continuing our DDACTS initiative and meeting our organizational goal of making Egg Harbor Township a safer community for our residents and the motoring public.

. For any clarification needed for the above news release

contact: Lieutenant Robert Gray, Public Information Officer

Work (609) 926-4018, cell (609)457-9481 or