The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to June 3, 2024. This information has not been independently verified by LexObserver.
Community Engagement
Monday, May 27 at 9:45 a.m., officers assisted with traffic management for the Memorial Day parade. The parade was concluded without incident.
Monday, May 27 at 11:00 a.m., Chief McLean and Captain Mazerall attended the Memorial Day program at Emory Park held by the Celebrations Committee. Officers assisted with traffic management.
Tuesday, May 28 at 1:00 p.m., a Diamond Middle School teacher invited Detective Sullivan and K9 Maisey to visit the Integrated Learning Program. While there, Maisey interacted and played with students and staff.
Wednesday, May 29 at 6:00 p.m., Detective Chaisson and firefighter Lieutenant Peter Rici taught a Home Alone class for parents and children 11 to 14. The class helped both prepare for staying home alone and start conversations regarding what should be done and the rules to follow. It also helped parents and children discuss their concerns and judge whether a child is ready to be left at home alone.
Wednesday, May 29 at 5:00 p.m., Detective Hankins and Detective Sullivan attended the Lexington High School Senior Prom held at Gillette Stadium.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
7 total DPLW school visits occurred this week: 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high school. During each, there was interaction with students, faculty, and staff as officers familiarized themselves with each school’s layout. All was in order this week.
General Disturbance and Suspicious Activity
Thursday, May 30 at 9:30 a.m., an employee from Little Bees Lab Preschool Center on Militia Drive called to speak with an officer about a recurring incident involving a parent not following school rules and regulations regarding drop off and pick up of her children. When frequently reminded, this parent became agitated and yelled at the staff. The responding officer spoke with the director, who had spoken with the owners of the school who agreed to rescind permission for attendance. The school completed the paperwork necessary to issue a letter of No Trespass. The school wanted an officer nearby to serve a Breach of the Peace when this parent picked up her children. A staff member was advised to call police when the parent arrived. Little Bees Lab Preschool will be filing A51A regarding this and previous incidents.
At 3:55 p.m., this parent returned and caused a disturbance. She was served the trespass order and left without incident.
Sunday, June 2 at 3:45 p.m., an Uber driver requested assistance with his passenger. He stated the male was intoxicated and refused to leave the vehicle. The responding officer reported the passenger lived at the address and left the vehicle. There were no further issues.
Sunday, June 2 at 7:20 a.m., an Oakland St. resident called to report 3 males came to his house and knocked on his door at 11 a.m. and again at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 31. They stated they were looking for a cell phone. He found this suspicious and called the police. An officer spoke with this resident who explained they showed a map (likely a Find My iPhone app) pinpointing the front yard/driveway area. The phone was not located, and they left without issue. The responding officer advised this resident to lock doors and vehicles at night when not home due to recent car thefts in the area.
Animal Control
Wednesday, May 29 at 7:35 p.m., a Mass Ave. resident called regarding his dog biting his neighbor’s daughter. An officer spoke with all parties involved and the Animal Control Officer was notified of the incident.
Three Cheers! Thank you for keeping your dogs safe and your neighbors happy. Voice controlled or leashed – almost 100% this week.
Three more Cheers! Thank You for sharing the road with our furry, feathered, hopping, crawling friends this week. DPW was pleased!
Town Bylaws and a Noise Complaint
The Town’s seasonal gas leaf blower ban went into effect for the summer on Saturday, June 1. This ban prohibits the use of gas-powered leaf blowers until September 15, 2024. A reminder: Homeowners are also responsible for adherence to the town’s bylaws.
Monday, May 27 at 2:10 p.m., a Whipple Rd. resident reported a contractor working in violation of town bylaws regarding working on holidays. An officer attempted to explain this to the workers from Empire Concrete who did not speak English very well.
Sunday, June 2 at 10:00 a.m., an Emerson Gardens Rd. resident called to complain about contractors working next door. Police advised the contractor for Roots and Shoots of the Lexington bylaw prohibiting contractors from working on Sundays without a special permit. The contractor stated he understood and began putting away his equipment.
Saturday, June 1 at 10:20 p.m., a Grant St./Sherman St. area resident called to complain there was a loud gathering outside. The responding officer spoke with the residents who were having a small gathering of adults. They agreed to keep the noise down as they were wrapping up their evening.
Larceny and Breaking & Entering
Wednesday, May 29 at 6:50 p.m., a Reed St. resident came in with a parent to report his bike had been stolen from the Stop and Shop bike rack around 5:30 p.m. He and his mother walked to Qdoba, and when they returned it was gone. The bike is a light blue trek bike with an estimated value of $250.
Friday, May 31 at 10:15 a.m., Dane Rd. resident reported an Apple Watch missing from a package delivered to his residence. An officer spoke to this resident, and he said he had ordered a black Gen. 9 Apple Watch that was delivered by UPS in a sealed package on May 30. When he opened and inspected the box and Apple case inside, the watch was missing.
Saturday, June 1 at 12:20 p.m., a Circle Rd. resident reported items stolen from his unlocked vehicle sometime between the late hours of 5/30 and the early morning hours of 5/31. No damage was sustained. A Bob’s Automotive Company visa credit card and $60.00 cash were taken from the center console. The card was used seven times for a total of $262.22. The card was used at the Nike factory in Dorchester half an hour before he called the station. The reporting party canceled the card and was informed the account would be credited and an internal investigation initiated.
Fraud
Monday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m., a Turning Mill Rd. resident reported a scam by a roofing company for a loss of approximately $1,000. The responding officer reported a monetary loss of $1,100.
Tuesday, May 28 at 4:15 p.m., a Manor Terrace resident came in to report someone had opened several credit card accounts in his name. Police advised him to contact the credit card companies to inform them of the fraud and cancel the cards. He was also advised to check his credit reports for any suspicious activity.
Tuesday, May 28 at 10:30 p.m., a Cottage St. resident came in to report she was “served with a summons” from the Lake County’s 19th Judicial Circuit in Lake County, Illinois for a mortgage foreclosure summons on behalf of Bank of America. This resident stated she went to Bank of America who reported they have no documentation of this summons as it was likely fraudulent.
Friday, May 31 at 12:50 p.m., a Taft Ave. resident came in to report someone used his identity to take out a loan. He explained a loan for $50,000 from Upstart, a subsidiary of Finwise Bank, had been approved in his name on 12/8/23. An unknown party began withdrawing cash on 12/12/23. This resident began receiving collection letters by mail in early spring but assumed they were a scam. Last week, he researched the loan and discovered identity theft.
Excerpted from: AARP Fraud – May 2024
“Amazon, which raked in nearly $575 billion in net sales last year, is “the low hanging fruit” for scammers, because it’s one of those “entities that binds us all,” says Mark Fetterhoff, a senior adviser at AARP Fraud Watch Network
The massive company was the second-most frequently impersonated business in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The agency received about 44,000 reports about scammers using Amazon’s name, with $19 million reported lost. The most frequently impersonated was Best Buy and its Geek Squad service (about 52,000 reports, citing $15 million in losses).
Common Amazon-impersonation scams
The fake order or delivery. You’ll receive a message that there’s a problem with your shipment and you need to pay a fee to straighten it out. The message may include a link that — like so many delivery scams involving UPS or the U.S. Postal Service — if clicked, might download malware on to your computer or lead you to a request for personal information. Or you may be contacted by phone, and the criminal will request your password, your payment information, or other sensitive data. They may suggest that there’s a technical problem and ask to take control of your computer to fix it (see “Tech support scam” below).
Suspicious purchase. This common scam accounted for two-thirds of the fraud reports Amazon received globally last year. The criminals call to confirm your purchase of what’s usually a big-ticket item — for instance, the $8,000 worth of tech devices that scammers said had been charged to Cowles’ account. “And you’re like, ‘I’m sorry. What?’ ” Bishop says. “You’re caught off guard, which they use to their advantage, creating that false urgency. ‘We really need to resolve this issue.’ ”
**May Statistics
Animal Control: 23
Assist Fire Department: 107
Community Engagement: 35
Cruiser Check (house): 25
Cruiser Check (business): 202
Cruiser Check (person): 49
Cruiser Check (general): 56
Cruiser Check (total): 332
Directed Traffic: 165
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk: 17
Fraud:26
*The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. LexObserver coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. Logs are available for public viewing.