The following incidents were selected from the Lexington Police Department log during the week leading up to June 2. The Lexington Observer does not independently verify this information.
Community Engagement
Wednesday, May 28, at 12:45 p.m., Detective Hankins provided a tour of the station to student members of the Criminal Justice class at Lexington High School (LHS).
Wednesday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m., Detective Chaisson hosted and taught a Home Alone class at LHS to students aged 9-13 and their parents. Firefighter Kimball assisted with the curriculum.
Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 p.m., Captain Barry was part of a panel that met with abutters of the high school property to discuss new construction, parking, and a traffic plan for the new school and neighborhood.
K-9 Community Engagement
Wednesday, May 28, at 11:45 a.m., School Resource Officer Hankins, K9 Maisey, and K9 Watson attended the senior BBQ hosted at Lexington High School.
Thursday, May 29, at 11 a.m., Detective Sullivan and Detective Hankins took their K9s to the International Language Program to address community safety with the students.
Thursday, May 29, at 5 p.m., SROs Hankins and Sullivan, K9 Maisey, and K9 Watson attended the senior prom hosted at the Museum of Science.
Directed Park, Lock, and Walk – Schools
This past week, officers made six visits to elementary schools, one visit to a middle school, and one visit 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
Wednesday, May 28, at 12:50 p.m., an Albion Road resident reported that a male approached her three times during her walk. She felt uncomfortable and stated he was in a red landscaping truck. Responding officers spoke to the resident and checked the area, but were unable to locate any landscape vehicles.
Thursday, May 29, at 1:45 p.m., a Waltham Street resident reported a UPS truck parked in his lot for a long time, and he could not find the driver. He was concerned that something was wrong. The responding officer reported that the owner planned to contact UPS for more information.
Friday, May 30, at 7:50 p.m., an Adams Street resident reported a suspicious package left at his door. It was medium-sized, wrapped with an excessive amount of tape, and had a phone number on it. This resident wondered if this was part of a scam. The responding officer reported that it appeared this was the wrong address on the package, and this resident planned to have UPS retrieve it on Monday.
Friday, May 30, at 8:20 p.m., a Cherry Street resident reported a male carrying a clipboard had been walking around for a while. The responding officer checked the area, but wasn’t able to locate the individual.
Sunday, June 1, at 1:40 a.m., a Bedford Street Stop and Shop employee from Chelmsford called Chelmsford Police Department (PD) requesting a cruiser check. He flagged down an officer and reported that a vehicle had been parked in the lot for approximately eight hours. The responding officer determined there was no immediate hazard, and all appeared in order.
Disturbance and Noise Complaints
Wednesday, May 28, at 12:25 a.m., an April Lane resident reported loud music playing from a vehicle parked in Lot 2 of April Ln. The responding officer checked the area, and all was quiet.
Friday, May 30, at 9:30 p.m., a Muster Court resident reported “an extremely loud” party on Frost Road involving juveniles who were parked on Muster Court, which is a private way. The responding officer spoke with individuals, and the homeowner agreed to keep the noise down for the night.
Friday, May 30, at 11:30 p.m., several reports of an extremely loud graduation party on Frost Rd. came in from surrounding neighbors. The responding officer requested EMS evaluations for some juveniles at the party, and all refused transport. The officer reported roughly 100 juveniles, and many were intoxicated. Parents were asked to pick up their children. The homeowner was told to expect a summons from the PD in the mail.
Saturday, May 31, at 1:40 a.m., a CareOne employee on Lowell Street reported a 90-year-old male was combative and throwing things at nurses. The individual was transported to Leahy by Medic 3.
Sunday, June 1, at 12:54 a.m., an April Lane resident reported loud music coming from a white BMW parked in Lot 2 of April Ln. The responding officer spoke to the occupant of the vehicle, and she was not playing loud music. All was in order.
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
For our four-legged, furry friends: Three Cheers for a happy, safe week! There were no reports of concerns or injuries. Thanks for taking good care.
Saturday, May 31, at 10:30 a.m., a report came in regarding a large turtle in the middle of Lois Lane. Thanks to the responding officer who removed the 25-pound turtle from the road and put it back into the woods.
Larceny
Thursday, May 29, at 1:40 p.m., Lexington Toyota reported a pickup truck had been stolen and abandoned near the Statehouse in Boston. State Police contacted Toyota and had the vehicle towed back to Lexington. The next day, a follow-up video showed the theft occurred on May 22 at 1:07 a.m., and Mass State Police determined the vehicle had been left at the statehouse at 4 a.m. the same morning. Detective Chaisson processed the vehicle after its return to Lexington Toyota.
Friday, May 30, at 8:30 p.m., a Turning Mill Road resident reported his vehicle had been broken into. He parked in the landlocked forest on Turning Mill Rd. for a bike ride. When he returned, his credit cards were missing from the wallet he left in the vehicle. No cash was taken, and the fraud departments caught the credit card transactions before any loss.
Saturday, May 31, at 11:40 a.m., a Spring Street resident reported a package stolen from her porch several minutes after delivery. The package contained an Apple iPad and keyboard valued at $1,200.
Saturday, May 31, at 4:10 p.m., a Lexington Ridge Drive resident reported a package stolen from her residence. She purchased three items for $257.98 from Amazon on May 25. Amazon’s delivery was on May 27. There were no surveillance cameras at the front door where the packages were delivered.
Fraud
Saturday, May 31, at 1:30 p.m., a Bicentennial Drive resident reported fraudulent charges on his Citizens Bank card. He checked with his bank and there had been attempted fraud. There is no monetary loss, and he has locked his accounts. An officer suggested steps he could take to safeguard his accounts.
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
Why it works: “You’ve won the sweepstakes! You are now rich! But if you don’t act fast… Many people have a deep-seated fear of missing out (FOMO, in internet jargon) on good opportunities, given how infrequently they might appear. The criminal encourages that FOMO, Cialdini says. “They do it in terms of the uniqueness of the idea or the dwindling of availability of the product or service. This spooks people into choices.”
May Stats
Assisting Fire Department- 98
Animal Control- 13
Community Relations-19
Cruiser Check: House- 19, Business- 271, Person- 36, General- 197 = Total- 523
Directed Traffic- 195
Directed PLW- 16
Fraud- 16
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.