The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to Jan. 27. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, January 21 at 4:00 p.m., Chief McLean and Captain Mazerall met with Tom Shiple, candidate for the Planning Board, to discuss public safety concerns regarding the MBTA zoning changes.
Tuesday, January 21 at 5:30 p.m., Chief McLean attended the quarterly board meeting for the Domestic Violence Service Network via Zoom.
Wednesday, January 22 at 6:50 p.m., Lieutenant Dunbar attended the SEPTA meeting. LexSEPAC and LexSEPTA encompass both the Parent Advisory Council for children with special needs in Lexington and Lexington’s Special Education PTA.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
During this past week, officers made four visits to elementary schools, two visits to middle schools, and one to the high school. During a visit to Diamond Middle School, an officer checked in with the front desk and spoke with staff and students while familiarizing himself with the building layout.
Suspicious Activity
Friday, January 24 at 6:05 p.m., an individual received a text from his sister, who works at the Sunoco station on Lincoln Street, stating that there was a suspicious male in the store. Shortly afterward, she called the station to report that the individual had left.
Friday, January 24 at 10:20 p.m., a 911 caller reported individuals banging on the side of their Garfield St. house and then running away. The responding officer spoke with the reporting party’s husband who reported the same. The officer stated it was likely a “Ding, Dong, Ditch” situation with juveniles. Officers canvassed the area, but were unable to locate the juveniles involved. They spoke with several neighbors on Garfield St. who also stated that juveniles had “aggressively knocked” on their doors.
Animal Control and Complaints
Wednesday, January 22 at 11:35 a.m., a Lincoln St. resident reported a strange dog had walked into her home. The individual called back prior to police arrival and stated that the dog’s owner had been located.
Sunday, January 26 at 7:50 p.m., multiple callers reported a medium-sized, light brown lab with a red collar loose on Village Circle. The responding officer reported the dog’s tag number and the owners were identified as Page Rd. residents. The officer contacted the owner and reunited the dog with its owner.
Attempted Larceny
Tuesday, January 21 at 5:00 p.m., an employee of Liberty Wine and Spirits on Woburn St. reported that three teenage boys tried to take alcohol from the store and then ran. The juveniles were gone before officers arrived. They checked the surrounding areas, but didn’t locate any suspicious individuals. The bottle of whiskey was not taken from the store as the employee got it back before the juveniles left. Liberty Wine and Spirits plans to forward camera footage of the incident.
Fraud
Friday, January 24 at 4:35 p.m., a Maple Street resident came into the station to report new information on an ongoing fraud investigation. She had received her credit report from Equifax and reported the primary address listed was in Virginia. Her correct Lexington address was listed as a prior address. The credit report also contained inaccurate information regarding her career. An officer advised her to contact Equifax to report that information.
Excerpted from AARP January 2025: “25 Great Ways to Avoid Scams”
1. Accept your vulnerability
2. Practice radical skepticism
Once you admit that anyone can be targeted by scammers, you can begin to mount defenses against them. To start, “set a ‘default skepticism’ stance,” suggests Maria-Kristina Hayden, founder and CEO of Outfoxm, a cyber hygiene and resiliency company. “Be suspicious of digital messages, phone calls or even snail mail from strangers,” she says. “Whenever you’re asked for money or personal information, pause and ask yourself, ‘Does this make sense?’” suggests Jason Zirkle, training director at the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “Would your bank normally contact you this way? If it doesn’t feel right, stop communication immediately.”
3. Pause and think
Scammers are skilled manipulators of their targets’ emotions. If you find yourself growing anxious or upset by someone who’s contacted you out of the blue, that’s a red flag. “Real customer service representatives at banks, tech companies and government agencies are trained to put you at ease, not rile you up,” says Marti DeLiema, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who studies financial scams and older adults. “Criminals are trying to make you feel anxious because strong emotions overwhelm your ability to make rational decisions.” The FBI recently began a “Take a Beat” scam-awareness campaign, urging the public to “resist pressure to act quickly, pause for a moment, and assess the situation.”
*The Lexington Police Department updates its call log on Monday mornings. Lexington Observer coverage is a sampling of incidents and is not an exhaustive list. Logs are available for public viewing.