Repeat offenders frustrate MPD capt.

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A high-ranking officer with the Mobile Police Department spoke out about repeat offenders who keep getting arrested.

Capt. Clay Godwin has been on the force for more than 20 years. In that time, he said he has seen many suspects spend less time in jail than the time it takes to investigate their crimes.

“We're working very hard on a daily basis chasing the same people,” said Cpt. Godwin. “It taxes our resources on the first time. The second time it's more difficult because now the criminal is smarter.”

As captain of the fourth precinct, Godwin said he has seen his share of repeat offenders.

One example is Cameron Bell, who he said was arrested in connection to numerous vehicle break-ins and credit card fraud charges while out on bond.

Last week, Godwin said Bell was sentenced to 10 years in prison, split to serve only 90 days in jail.

“We got him on two cases the night we caught him, and he confessed to 12 others,” said Cpt. Godwin. “That's just the ones he could remember in that recent time period. But he didn't start doing it that day; and as you can see from that South Alabama record, he had eight cases they made on him the year before, and how many in between that nobody knows about, who knows?”

Bell isn’t the only one though.

Last week FOX10 re-introduced you to Ted Snow, who was arrested and released in the same week for burglary.

Police said they are also investigating Snow for dozens of other home burglaries across Mobile County.

Snow was booked in jail two days later again stemming from a previous burglary case.  Snow, however, bonded out again in less than two hours.

It’s a trend that Capt. Godwin said needs to change.

He blames it in-part to lack of funding, space and also communication.

“The police department in effect becomes a witness in a state case and the adjudication of those cases is done between the prosecutor the defense attorney and then ultimately approved by the judge,” said Godwin.

Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich was unavailable for comment.

Cameron Bell has already begun serving his 90-day sentence.

Snow is expected back in court in April.

FOX10 News will continue to follow these cases.