The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to February 10. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
FYI: We are sometimes asked about certain crimes that do not appear in the police blotter. We are not choosing to withhold information. We are following laws governing disclosure. General Law – Part 1, Title VII, Chapter 41, Section 98F: All police departments maintain a daily log available to the public. “However, certain entries must be kept private and are not to be part of public records or disclosed to the public.” For example, “…information concerning responses to reports of domestic violence, rape, or sexual assault, any entry concerning the arrest of a person for assault, assault and battery or violation of a protective order where the victim is a family or household member… or any entry concerning the arrest of a person who has not yet reached 18 years of age.”
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
During this past week, officers made five visits to elementary schools, two visits to middle schools, and one to the high school. During a visit to the Bridge School, an officer conducted a walkthrough. He familiarized himself with the layout of the school grounds, spoke with staff and students, and checked the exterior doors for security. The staff he spoke with reported all was in order.
Suspicious Activity
Monday, February 3, at 1:40 p.m., a Scotland Road resident was watching over a Sherburne Road residence while his neighbors were away. He reported a suspicious person at that residence. While officers responded, another officer called to advise that he was following up on a January B&E.
Sunday, February 9, at 4:45 p.m., a trustee on Waltham Street called with concerns after watching a video from the day before that showed several teens following a car into the garage and propping open an exit door. There was no damage, vandalism, or theft reported. The responding officer advised the reporting party to post “no trespassing” signs at the entrance of the garage.
Animal Control and Complaints
Wednesday, February 5, at 9:30 p.m., a Coppersmyth Way resident reported a dog barking continuously for the past few days. Responding officers spoke with the dog’s owner who stated they let their dog out for a few minutes at a time and then brought the dog back inside.
Friday, February 7, at 12:35 p.m., Animal Control conducted a well-being check on a dog left outside. The Animal Control Officer reported checking on two Great Pyrenees, which are winter dogs, and they were fine. The owner stated it was a “disgruntled neighbor” who complained to Animal Control.
Friday, February 7, at 7:25 p.m., a caller reported driving in the area of Bedford Street and Hartwell Avenue where an injured deer was interfering with traffic. When the responding officer checked the surrounding area, she did not locate the deer.
Saturday, February 8, at 10:00 p.m., Animal Control received a call regarding an injured raccoon in the middle of the road near Winchester Drive and Russell Road. The responding officer checked up to the Winchester line, but did not locate any animal in the roadway.
Breaking and Entering
Saturday, February 8, at 7:00 p.m., a Village Circle resident reported receiving a notification on camera of someone entering and leaving his house. He was not home as this happened, but was waiting outside in his vehicle. Responding officers stated this occurred around 6:00 p.m. and camera footage showed two males going in and out of the residence. Those individuals left the scene in a white vehicle. Responding officers canvassed the neighborhood, and a detective arrived to process the scene.
Fraud
Tuesday, February 4, at 12:15 p.m., a Woodcliff Road resident reported his passport information, along with his wife’s, had been compromised as his computer had been hacked during the process of renewing their passports. A fraudulent application for a visa to Canada was also completed for his wife with their information along with a $90.00 fee. He was able to stop payment and reported it to Fidelity. This resident came in for information about how to report to the FBI as he felt this required a thorough investigation. He stated he had all his information on his computer, but didn’t have time to go through the process of reporting the incident at the time. There was no monetary loss reported, and he was encouraged to contact the PD if further assistance was needed.
Tuesday, February 4, at 4:15 p.m., a Pleasant Street resident found a “Job Wanted” posting on the Nextdoor neighborhood app. She was instructed to send “NorthStar” and “Swamp Fox Inc.” money using cryptocurrency. Her total monetary loss is approximately $21,000. She had a list of transactions dating back to May 2024, and she has been in touch with her bank regarding this fraud.
Excerpted from AARP January 2025: “25 Great Ways to Avoid Scams”
1. Accept your vulnerability
2. Practice radical skepticism
3. Pause and Think
4. Be suspicious of secrecy
If someone you don’t know well tells you not to tell anyone about your interaction with them, it’s a good sign that you should tell someone. “Scams thrive on privacy and confidentiality,” DeLiema says. “The criminals know that the minute you tell someone what is going on, that person will recognize it’s a scam and will intervene.” Because criminals rely on privacy, an early indicator of suspicious activity is requesting to move a conversation from a traditional channel such as phone, email, or text to a non-traditional channel like WhatsApp. “Scammers often try to move conversations to less-monitored platforms, making it easier to control the narrative and avoid detection,” Zirkle says. “Keep communication within official channels, especially with companies or service providers.”
[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.]