The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to June 9. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, June 3, at 11 a.m., Captain Barry joined Jay Abdellah of Economic Development and Dave Pinsonnault of the Department of Public Works (DPW) to determine the location of the “parklet” installation on Massachusetts Avenue and to ensure safety measures are followed upon installation.
Tuesday, June 3, at 6 p.m., Lieutenant Dunbar attended a diversity course at the Community Center.
Wednesday, June 4, at 2:10 p.m., School Resource Officers Hankins and Sullivan provided a tour of the police station as an introduction for the law class from Lexington High School (LHS).
Wednesday, June 4, at 4 p.m., Detectives Sullivan and Hankins gave a presentation sponsored by the PTO regarding cyber education at Estabrook Elementary School.
Thursday, June 5, at 6:30 p.m., Captains Mazerall and Barry, and Lieutenant Dunbar led the Lexington Civic Academy, followed by a tour of the police station.
Friday, June 6, at 8:35 a.m., Officer Hsu assisted with the Hastings Elementary School bike train.
Friday, June 6, at 8:30 a.m., Detective Chaisson participated in the Credit for Life event at Lexington High School. This was held for the junior class by the LHS staff. The program instructs students about finances and budgeting. They’re given real-life scenarios and a salary, then they must maintain a balanced budget based on their choices.
K9 Community Engagement
Thursday, June 5, at 10 a.m., comfort dogs K9 Watson and K9 Maisie visited their monthly “Paw-fice” hours at Lexington Community Center.
Thursday, June 5, at 11:15 a.m., K9s Maisie and Watson visited the staff at the Lexington Public School central office.
Saturday, June 7, at 9:15 a.m., Detectives Hankins and Sullivan, along with K9 Maisie and Watson, attended the Purple Puppy Promenade at Hastings Park to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
During this past week, officers made five visits to elementary schools, two visits to middle schools, and four visits to the high school. During these visits, officers interacted with faculty, students, and staff members while they familiarized themselves with the layout of the school buildings.
Suspicious Activity
Tuesday, June 3, at 12:45 a.m., a Waltham Street resident reported a vehicle had been parked on Kendall Road all evening. It appeared to be “like a police car.” The black Ford Crown Victoria was registered to a Shrewsbury individual. The owner had been caught impersonating an officer in Shrewsbury. Lexington residents stated the vehicle broke down at approximately 8 a.m., as he observed the operator walking away from the legally parked vehicle. Lexington Police (LPD) observed the vehicle.
Noise Complaints and Town Bylaws
Tuesday, June 3, at 2:50 a.m., an Emerson Gardens Road resident reported an elderly neighbor playing loud music. The responding officer spoke with this resident who stated she had forgotten to turn off the music before going to bed. All was in order.
Thursday, June 5, at 6:50 p.m., a Locust Avenue resident reported her neighbors “purposely left a shop vac running by her fence because he does not like the playful noise of her kids.” The responding officer spoke with the neighbor, and he agreed to turn off the shop vac.
Saturday, June 7, at 9:10 p.m., a Hancock Street resident stated there was an extremely loud party on Victory Garden Way that was “shaking her house.” The responding officer spoke with the homeowner who asked the DJ to stop for the night and move the party inside.
Sunday, June 8, at 10:40 p.m., a Lexington Ridge Drive resident stated his neighbors were playing very loud music. The responding officer reported he spoke with the neighbor, and she agreed to “keep the noise down.”
Town Bylaws
Wednesday, June 4, at 6:05 p.m., a Thoreau Road resident reported a National Grid truck had been idling for more than 15 minutes. The responding officer spoke with the supervisor who stated the diesel truck was running for the utilities necessary for their work. He stated they were “wrapping up shortly.”
Saturday, June 7, at 7:35 a.m., a Woburn Street resident reported a construction crew working before the allowed start time outlined in the town bylaws. The responding officer spoke with the crew of A+ Construction who had been advised of the town bylaws and ceased work until 9 a.m.
Saturday, June 7, at 8:15 a.m., a Grove Street resident called regarding a construction crew working before the 9 a.m. start time allowed by the bylaws. Star Construction Services Inc. was advised of the bylaws and ceased until 9 a.m.
Sunday, June 8, at 8:55 a.m., a Winter Street resident complained of contractors working in violation of the town’s bylaw. The responding officer spoke with the homeowner and the supervisor of the job and advised them of the bylaws. Work was stopped.
Town Bylaws – Leaf Blower Infractions
During this past week, six reports regarding gas leaf blower bylaw infractions were made. Residents can be fined for these infractions. Please note that homeowners are responsible for all that occurs on their property. If necessary, remind your employees to follow Lexington’s bylaws.
Animal Control and Complaints
Three cheers for our canines and their companions! No complaints this week!
Tuesday, June 3, at 6:55 a.m., a caller reported an injured rabbit on Burlington Street. The responding officer reported that the rabbit was off the road and in some shrubbery. He elected to let nature take its course.
Sunday, June 8, at 9:15 a.m., a caller reported a turtle in the road near Adams and North Street. The responding officer reported that no creatures were found in the area.
Sunday, June 8, at 9:50 a.m., an individual contacted an officer regarding ducklings in the storm drain near Berman’s Wine and Spirits. The responding officer found the open storm drain and replaced the cover after verifying there were no ducklings inside. Thanks for looking out for our feathered friends!
Fraud
Tuesday, June 3, at 12:27 p.m., a Village Circle resident reported a scam on his computer. An individual claimed that his bank account had been compromised and stated that he had to go to the bank and withdraw $23,000 in cash to stop the transaction. Then, he was told to deposit it into cryptocurrency. This resident went directly to Citizens Bank to report the incident, and he was informed that this was a common scam. There was no monetary loss.
Wednesday, June 4, at 4:30 p.m., a Summer Street resident reported he had been contacted via mail on May 23 by CRI Federal Student Aid that someone attempted to take out a student loan in his name. He informed them he had not applied, and no payments were made on the bogus loan.
Friday, June 6, at 1:50 p.m., a North Reading resident with a Hayden Ave company reported the company was “onboarding” the services of a biology company named FutureDrop Inc. During this process, they received an invoice for $12,782 that they paid to the company on April 11. On June 5, they were notified by FutureDrop that their company had been hacked, and they paid a phony invoice. The company notified their banks, legal team, and the FBI about this fraud.
Friday, June 6, at 3:40 p.m., a Shade Street resident reported she was the victim of a scam on the social media app Discord. She stated she was in contact with an individual she thought was an employee of another social media app. She stated she had transferred $250 to this individual.
Excerpted from AARP’s Seven Tactics Criminals Use To Perpetrate Scams Against You
“Scammers have learned how to manipulate people’s emotions and take advantage of their trust in others. Many people believe they are too smart to become victims of a scam. But they miss the point: Scammers mostly bypass your intellect and rely on sophisticated psychological and emotional manipulations to get you to say yes. “You don’t have to be a fool to be fooled,” says Robert Cialdini, author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. “These people are using tactics and strategies that all of us are susceptible to.” Specifically, he explains, they weaponize human instincts such as fear, love and trust. Here are some of their techniques.”
1. They establish camaraderie
2. They play on our aversion to loss
3. They flatter you
“I can tell you know a lot about finance, so you know how much money you can make in cryptocurrency if you manage the risks.”
Why it works: “Usually at the beginning, it’s a lot of love bombing,” says Anthony Pratkanis, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. They’ll frequently praise the victim, Cialdini says. “That lends itself to a sense of connection and trust. ‘If this person likes me, well, then I can trust this person.’”
4. They make you anxious
“This malware means your bank account has been compromised. Someone could steal from it very easily now.”
Why it works: “We live in this age of anxiety, where there are so many actual existential fears,” AARP fraud expert Doug Shadel says. “It’s pretty easy to get people to say, ‘All right, what do I have to do to make this one go away?’”
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.