The following are incidents selected from the Lexington Police Department logs in the week leading up to January 16, 2024. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Tuesday, January 9 at 3:00 p.m., Chief McLean met with members of the Collaborative Reform Group as part of their monthly meeting.
“The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies across the nation serve all people with fair, equitable, and effective public safety practices. To that end, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) offers the Collaborative Reform Initiative Continuum of Technical Assistance Services to assist law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve in identifying and implementing organizational improvements and reforms through training, consultation, peer-based learning, analysis, and in-depth assessments.”
Monday, January 15 at 12:45 p.m., several units assisted with the Martin Luther King Day parade from the Battle Green to Cary Hall.
Monday, January 15 at 3:45 p.m., an officer met with Kieran Egan who is a photographer with a passion for police cruisers. This officer helped Kiernan by bringing out a variety of vehicles in the fleet so Kiernan could photograph them. (Website: www.publicservicevehicles.com)
Larceny and Breaking and Entering
Wednesday, January 10 at 3:55 p.m., a Brigham Rd. resident called regarding a Gucci wallet stolen from her vehicle in the Starbucks parking lot. She recently received an envelope containing most of the contents, but not her wallet. An officer checked the parking lot where the wallet was lost/stolen but did not locate any cameras in the area.
Thursday, January 11 at 5:15 p.m., a Manor Terrace resident came in to report his vehicle had been broken into overnight, and his briefcase was stolen. The vehicle was parked in the lot of his building complex from 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The briefcase contained numerous files and an Apple laptop.
Animal Control
Thursday, January 11 at 1:00 p.m., a Sherburne Rd. resident reported a dog running loose in the neighborhood. The responding officer located the dog and was able to find the owner. The Animal Control officer was notified and spoke with the dog’s owner.
On Thursday and Friday this week, two callers reported dead raccoons in their neighborhoods. On Friday and Sunday, two callers reported dead squirrels in their neighborhoods. DPW was notified for their removal.
*Animals don’t have lanes like bicyclists do – please share the road.
Disturbance and Noise Complaint – Neighbors
Monday, January 8 at 12:45 p.m., a Stedman Rd. resident reported her neighbor repeatedly banged on the wall that separated their apartments. The responding officer stated that upon arrival no noise was heard. This resident had been unable to contact the next-door neighbor. The officer spoke with the resident and advised her that this was a civil matter and that she should follow up with the landlord.
Tuesday, January 9 at 9:55 a.m., a Stedman Rd. resident again reported her neighbor had caused a noise disturbance. She stated her neighbor continued to bang on the wall separating their apartments. This resident contacted her landlord, and he/she was aware of the complaints against this neighbor. The responding officer stated upon arrival all was quiet, and she was unable to contact the neighbor in question.
Fraud – Credit Card and Checks
Wednesday, January 10 at 4:15 p.m., a Kendall Rd. resident reported fraudulent activity with her credit card. The loss was approximately $9,000.
Friday, January 12 at 11:00 p.m., an officer reported that while investigating a case, Saint Mary’s Credit Union informed him that there was another victim of an altered check. This officer reported he spoke with an Oakland St. resident who mailed a check at the USPS mailbox near the bike path on Miriam St. on December 12. This officer had received footage from Saint Mary’s credit union of Jayden Bruton depositing and cashing the check. Photographs have been attached to the police report.
Sunday, January 14 at 12:20 p.m., a Meriam St. resident reported a check-washing incident that had occurred in August. The amount of his loss was $20,000.
It’s worth a stroll in the fresh air from your car into the Post Office lobby when mailing a check. Doors are open 24/7.
From AARP Fraud Watch – December 2023
6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024 By Patrick J Kiger
“Criminals are getting more sophisticated and supercharging old scams with new technology.”
3. Delayed-action sweepstakes scam
“Sweepstakes scammers, who call or write to say that you’ve won a fabulous fortune, have been around for ages. But recently they’ve come up with a new variation on the old formula, according to Bruemmer. Instead of trying to get you to pay taxes or other fees in advance to collect the nonexistent prize, the scammers will ask for personal information so that they can validate you and set up the payout. “They’ll say, just give us your banking information and your Social Security number, and we’ll file with the IRS, and we’ll take care of everything,” he explains. “But, boom, it’s just another form of identity theft.” Instead of quickly looting your bank account — what Bruemmer calls a “smash and grab” — the scammers may play a long game. They’ll write small checks on your account to see whether you notice the fraudulent activity. If you don’t, they’ll continue to use the account to obtain credit cards and lines of credit in your name that they can siphon off, giving them a potentially bigger payday down the road.
How to stay safe: As with previous variations of the sweepstakes scam, remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. If you get a call from someone claiming that you’ve won a huge prize, the safest bet is to just hang up. And never, ever provide any personal information.”
*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.