The task force has already arrested over 20 suspects in the last three months by conducting surveillance at banks and using drones to catch the bad guys in the act.
CONROE, Texas — Local and state law enforcement agencies in the Houston area have formed a task force to track down robbers who follow bank customers and then steal their hard-earned money.
They’re already seeing success with nearly two dozen jugging suspects arrested in the last three months, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle.
He held a joint news conference on Thursday with Harris County Sheriff Gonzalez, Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, Department of Public Safety Director Colonel Freeman Martin and others.
The task force is putting undercover officers, deputies and troopers at banks to conduct surveillance to catch the bad guys in the act. They’re also using real-time crime centers, drones and other technology to track down the criminals.
“These are the worst of the worst. They prey on citizens going about their everyday life,” Freeman said. “They go to the bank, they go to the ATM, they withdraw money to go shopping, to go on vacation, or they’re small businesses, and they target them … it’s like hunters with a baited field.”
Experts say it’s critical that customers stay aware to ensure they’re not followed after withdrawing cash. Doolittle cited one woman in Montgomery County who realized she was being followed and called 911.
“We were able to get police officers, both undercover and marked units, to her and to intercept these guys before they committed this crime,” Doolittle said.
The sheriff said the suspect admitted he’d been following the customer and planned to rob her as soon as she stopped.
Diaz said many of the victims in Houston are elderly customers who now live in fear.
“They can’t go to the bank, they can’t go to Kroger, they can’t go to H-E-B, because they worry about someone following them,” the chief said.
According to Diaz, many of the juggers are part of sophisticated, well-organized rings that use apps to communicate and plan their weekly strategy.
According to Freeman, bank juggings are on the rise all over Texas. Harris County alone has had at least 531 cases since January 2024. Since juggings are often reported as aggravated robbery or burglary of a motor vehicle, Freeman said tracking accurate data is a challenge.
The task force believes that when House Bill 1902 becomes Texas law on September 1, it will be a game-changer. For the first time, all juggings will be classified as state felonies, regardless of the amount stolen. That could lead to higher bonds and tougher sentences. The bipartisan bill was approved unanimously by the Texas Legislature.