Note to Readers:

The following information is based on initial reviews of incident reports and should not be considered a comprehensive list of all incidents reported. The blog reports do not include sex crimes, domestic abuse, juvenile information, medical reports, and other sensitive police reports. The blog may differ from local news sources as well as trends reported at crimereports.com

Thursday, June 30, 2011

June 29th- 30th

June 29th- 30th

Arrests:

Occurred between 9:58 PM (6/29) and 10:45 PM (6/29) – Chestnut St./ Pond Ave

Officers were patrolling the area when they observed a vehicle traveling on Cypress Avenue that had a broken brake light. Officers conducted a traffic stop and informed the operator of the reason for the stop. The officers then learned that the subject’s license to operate in Massachusetts was suspended. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for operating after suspension and defective equipment.

Attempted Robbery:

Occurred between 9:45 PM (6/29) and 10:00 PM (6/29) – Brookline Place

Officers responded to a report of attempted robbery. Officers learned that the victim had walked to the ATM to retrieve money. On his way back to his apartment from the ATM a subject had approached the male asking him about the ATM transaction. The victim and the subject engaged in a small confrontation, and the subject fled. The suspect was described as a white male, mid 20’s, oversized white t-shirt, and dark shorts. Officers conducted a search of the area but could not identify the suspect.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Press Release: Elderly Scam

Brookline Police Department Scam Warning- Advanced Fee Fraud

On June 17th, 2011, the Brookline Police Department was made aware of one known elderly Brookline resident who had fallen victim to an “inheritance” scam, with a very large monetary loss from their personal bank accounts. The scam began with initial contact being conducted through paper mail by an unknown party who represented themselves as an employee of an international financial company. This party advised the now “victim” that they were the next of kin in a dormant account held by this financial institution in the name of a family member and provided a copy of a death certificate. A total of 7 wire transfers were conducted, all over $10,000. These amounts were described as necessary “fees” or “value added taxes.” Documents such as “applications to transfer funds” are provided and made to appear to be legitimate, yet have no legal significance. All advance fee scams share one basic thing in common- they require the victim to give something now in order to secure a right to something relatively large in the future. The people behind the scams often attempt to mimic government documents or emails, legitimate corporations, popular websites and the like. Another popular scam includes the sending of false insurance checks with letter from prominent companies claiming bigger settlement is on the horizon only after depositing the initial payment.

Prevention Tips:

Learn to recognize the signs of advance fee fraud:
-Payment is requested in advance
-Payment is much smaller than the promises payoff- almost incidental

Signs of email frauds in general:
-The email is unsolicited
-The tone, grammar, and overall style of the emails are noticeably less polished and professional than expected from a reputable, established corporation
-The offer seems to good too be true
-The situation described seems bizarre or unlikely

What to do if you think an offer matching any of these characteristics might be genuine:
-Contact the Better Business Bureau to investigate the company
-If the company seems legitimate, look up the company’s phone number in a phone book (do not use contact information given to you in the email!) and call to verify
-Have the company send you relevant documentation to verify the offer through the mail
-Verify the information independently

What to do if you believe that you may have fallen prey to an advance fee fraud:
-Contact your bank immediately
-Notify the Police Department

June 27th- 28th

June 27th- 28th

Arrests:

Occurred at 4:27 PM (6/27) – Gibbs Street/ Fuller Street

Officers were patrolling the area when they observed a vehicle with Massachusetts registration that failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. Officers conducted the traffic stop and observed that the subject was not wearing a seat belt. Officers advised the subject of the reason for the stop. Officers queried the subject and learned that the subject’s license to operate in Massachusetts was suspended. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for operating with a suspended license, failure to stop, and not wearing a seatbelt.

Occurred at 3:29 AM (6/28) – Cypress Street/ Boylston Street

Officers were dispatched to the area of Cypress Street and Boylston Street to assist other officers with a motor vehicle stop. Officers learned that the subject had driven on the curb and stopped abruptly without a signal on Cypress Street. Officer then observed that the license plate was not illuminated and conducted the traffic stop. Officer queried the subject and learned that the status of the subject’s license was suspended. The subject was informed and was subsequently placed under arrest for operating after suspension, failure to use signals, and defective equipment.

Occurred at 9:23 PM (6/28) – Boylston Street/ Warren Street

Officers were patrolling the area when they observed a vehicle operating with an expired inspection sticker. Officers conducted a traffic stop and advised the operator of the reason for the stop. Officers then learned that the registration was also suspended and that there was a warrant out for the subject’s arrest. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for the outstanding warrant, failure to inspect a motor vehicle, and operating after suspended registration.

Monday, June 27, 2011

June 24th- 27th

June 24th- 27th

Arrests:

Occurred at 4:40 AM (6/24) – Washington Street

Officers were patrolling the area when they observed a vehicle with a defective license plate. Officers asked the driver for identification and the subject did not have a license with him. Officers took the subject’s name and birth date down and began to verify the identification. Officers learned that the name the operator provided did not match the appearance of the operator. The subject then apologized and gave the proper information. Officers learned that the subject did not have a proper Massachusetts license to operate and there was a warrant out for his arrest. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for operating without a license, providing a false name, and defective equipment.

Occurred at 7:53 PM (6/25) – Harvard Street/ Harris Street

Officers were patrolling the area when they observed a vehicle stopped at an intersection. Officers queried the vehicle and learned that the subject had a warrant for his arrest. Officers conducted a stop of the vehicle and informed the subject of the warrant. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for the charges of the warrant.

Occurred at 2:11 AM (6/26) – Washington Street/ Greenough Street

Officers were leaving the station when they observed a vehicle approach with no headlights on. The officers approached the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Upon investigation officers learned that the subject did not have a proper Massachusetts license to operate. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for operating without a license.

Occurred at 1:57 AM (6/27) – Beacon Street/ Englewood Avenue

Officers were patrolling the area of Beacon Street when they observed a vehicle stopped at a green light straddling the lines. The vehicle stayed stationary through the entire green light, the red light and then began turning on the following green light. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Englewood Avenue. Officers approached the vehicle and immediately smelled a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. Officers conducted field sobriety tests and learned that the subject was indeed under the influence. The subject was subsequently placed under arrest for operating under the influence of alcohol.

Armed Robbery

Occurred at 8:21 PM (6/24) – Muddy River

Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery attempt. Officers learned that a male victim had been walking through the Muddy River footbridge when a white male subject approached him asking for his bag. The victim and the subject were involved in a brief struggle/ confrontation where both subjects were injured. The subject failed to retrieve the bag and fled. The victim walked to a local apartment building to wash up the injury and call the police. The subject was described at a white male, 5’4”, 120-130 lbs, disheveled hair that hung to his chin, goatee, wearing a black and gray North Face jacket and blue jeans. Brookline Police have increased officer surveillance in the area.

Motor Vehicle Theft:

Occurred between 7:00 PM (6/24) and 10:30 PM (6/24) – Beacon Street

Officers responded to a report of a motor vehicle theft. Officers learned that the victim parked his vehicle on Beacon Street at approximately 7:00 PM and when he returned the vehicle was missing. Officers checked the area for the vehicle but the vehicle was not recovered.