Thursday, February 15th

2/15

On Thursday afternoon, Brookline Police Dispatch received a call for a recent attempted breaking and entering on University Ave. After speaking with the caller and witnesses, an officer spoke with the victim of the residence. She had heard her door bell ring, which prompted her to look out the front window of her unit. Shortly afterward, the victim heard what was described as a "squeaking noise", which appeared to be coming from her door, located inside a locked foyer. She soon realized that the noise had emanated from the side of her door to the door knob. She saw what she believed to be a credit card, being pushed in and out, next to the doorknob. Frightened, she yelled at whoever was behind the door. Upon receiving no response, she yelled again; asking this person to identify themselves. At this time, the person outside the door replied stating that they were a mailman. The victim then unlocked the door. Upon looking out, she witnessed a man running to a bike, proceeding toward Beacon St.

Some damage to the door frame was observed at the scene. Police are investigating.

The Brookline Police Department is pleased to release its 2017 Annual Report:

BPD 2017 Annual Report

Including: a "year in review" from Acting Chief Mark Morgan, a review of crime in Brookline, a report on race and gender interactions, and updates from Divisions and Specialty Units of the Brookline Police Department.

In addition to this annual year-end report, the Brookline Police Department releases a similar report at the mid-year point. Additionally, you can find regular updates from the Police Department on our website, www.brooklinepolice.com, including a daily blog of notable incidents, a weekly COMPSTAT report covering crimes and crashes for the previous week and various statistical reports and news.

The website also contains information on how to submit a public records request. Parties seeking more information than is available on our website can also visit the front desk of the police station to access our incident system or get a free subscription to www.crimereports.com, which maps crime and quality of life issues on a daily basis.

2/13/2018

In the early hours of January 13^th, an officer observed a vehicle fail to stop for a red light on Boylston St. The officer initiated a traffic stop and found that the operator of the vehicle did not have a license. The driver was placed under arrest. While inventorying the vehicle, officers located ammunition. The driver is also being charged with Unlawful possession of ammunition.

An officer responded to Washington St for a report of a stolen package. The reporting party stated that his package had been reported as delivered on 2/7 but he never received it. The case is active.

An officer responded to a bank on Harvard St. for a report of an attempt to utter a fake check. The branch manager reported that a male party had entered the bank and attempted to cash a fraudulent check. When informed that they could not complete his request, the male party fled the bank. This case is under investigation.

At approximately 15:45 hrs, officers responded to a business on Harvard St. for a report of shoplifting. The employee stated that a male party had entered the store and made a purchase of a suitcase and other items. While checking out the man’s merchandise, an employee noticed that the suitcase felt unusually heavy. Upon opening the suitcase, the employee observed that the male party had been attempting to conceal more merchandise. Asked to speak to the loss prevention employee, the male party fled the store leaving behind both the items he was concealing and the items he paid for. The incident is being investigated.

An officer was dispatched to a residence on Heath St. for a report of a larceny. The reporting party stated that multiple pieces of jewelry had gone missing from her room. The case is under investigation.

The Brookline Police Department is pleased to release its 2017 Annual Report:

BDP 2017 Annual Report

Including: a "year in review" from Acting Chief Mark Morgan, a review of crime in Brookline, a report on race and gender interactions, and updates from Divisions and Specialty Units of the Brookline Police Department.

Monday, February 12th

2/12

Around 5 PM on Monday, an officer at Brookline PD's front desk met with a man who had come in to report a breaking, entering and larceny of a motor vehicle. The victim stated that he had parked his vehicle at a metered spot on Brookline Ave. for approximately one hour. Upon returning, he noticed that his tool bag, located on the passenger seat, was gone. The victim stated that no other belongings were missing and that his vehicle obtained no damage.

Note:

It is always advised to hide your valuables and double-check that your vehicle is locked when parking unattended.

On Monday evening, an officer was dispatched to Beacon St. for a report of a past shoplifting. When arriving, the officer met with an employee who had been conducting inventory and noticed a large amount of razors missing from the store's shelves. The employee decided to review the store's security footage and noticed that an individual had placed several razors into their jacket earlier in the day. The suspect subsequently exited the store. After reviewing the store's footage, the employee contacted Brookline Police. BPD is investigating.

An officer responded to Parkman St. for a report of a past larceny. Upon arrival, the victim stated that over the past month, he had several packages stolen from the foyer of his residence. After receiving a confirmation email on Feb. 12th regarding his package deliveries, he went to retrieve them with no success. For some time, the victim thought that his packages had been missing because of mistakes made by the delivery services. It was at this time that he realized it was unlikely that his packages had been missing due to delivery errors, but that they had been stolen.

The same day, an officer responded to a report of package theft at the same address. The victim also believed it to be a mistake on behalf of the delivery service.

Police are continuing to investigate the following package thefts.


The Brookline Police Department is pleased to release its 2017 Annual Report:

BPD 2017 Annual Report

Including: a "year in review" from Acting Chief Mark Morgan, a review of crime in Brookline, a report on race and gender interactions, and updates from Divisions and Specialty Units of the Brookline Police Department.

2/9 through 2/10/2018

2/9

An officer was dispatched to Harvard St. Friday afternoon on a report of a shoplifter, who had just exited a store. An employee informed the officer that the suspect had placed 3 pairs of jeans in a gym bag, which, too, was an item from the store. The suspect then attempted to leave. At this time, an employee approached the suspect. They then dropped the stolen gym bag, still containing all three pairs of jeans. The suspect then walked out of the store, back onto Harvard St. Police are investigating.

An officer tended to an additional shoplifting report that same day, also on Harvard St. An employee stated that she had observed a female conceal items using a reusable shopping bag that is purchasable from the store. The suspect took a blanket, perfume and earrings, and placed them in the store's reusable shopping bag. The suspect was unsuccessful in attempting to exit the store. The Boston resident was arrested by Brookline Police for shoplifting.

An officer responded to a report of larceny at a gym on Commonwealth Ave. on Friday. The victim stated that after entering the gym, he put his belongings in his locker. After returning to the locker room almost an hour later, he noticed that his watch and keys had been taken. The victim reported that he did not use a lock to secure his belongings.

2/10

On Saturday February 10th, an officer responded to Beacon St. for a reported shoplifting. The store manager reported that two people had stolen a significant amount of shaving razors and exited, heading towards Pleasant St. Brookline PD are investigating.

An officer took a report of a past breaking and entering and larceny of a motor vehicle, which occurred on Village Way. The victim told police that he had parked his vehicle outside of his work early Saturday evening. After receiving a security alert from his bank regarding unusual activity, he walked to his car to retrieve his wallet to find it was missing from the center console. The victim immediately notified his bank to shut off his account. Police are investigating.


The Brookline Police Department is pleased to release its 2017 Annual Report:

BPD 2017 Annual Report

Including: a "year in review" from Acting Chief Mark Morgan, a review of crime in Brookline, a report on race and gender interactions, and updates from Divisions and Specialty Units of the Brookline Police Department.

Thursday, February 8th

2/8

An officer was dispatched to Carlton St on Thursday evening, at approximately 6 PM, for a package theft. The victim told police that he had noticed a package addressed to him in the unlocked foyer of his building. Upon picking up the package, the top was ripped open and it's contents had been stolen.

Around 9 PM, an officer was dispatched to Kent St. for a suspicious package that was found on a resident's front lawn. The reporting party noticed the packages, ripped open, on his lawn about an hour prior. The ripped packages were not those of the reporting party but were addressed to a Francis St. residence and an additional residence on Kent St.

Officers spoke with the owners of the opened packages found on the Kent St. lawn. The residents of Francis and the second Kent St. address confirmed that their packages had been ordered, delivered, but never received.

Later that evening, officers were dispatched to an address on Newell Rd. for a package theft. A package and a bag of shoes had been stolen off of the front porch of the residence. Upon leaving Newell Rd, an officer noticed that a large amount of shoes had been dumped at the Lawrence School playground.

At this time, the officer also noticed two, ripped-open packages, located near the rear of the school. The two ripped packages found were addressed to different residential address, also located on Newell Rd. The officer spoke with the resident, who stated that her packages had been scheduled to be delivered that day but had never arrived.

In total, there were 6 reports of package thefts on Thursday, February 8th. Police are investigating the incidents.

Wednesday, February 7th

2/7

An officer responded to Juniper St. for a report of a past larceny on Wednesday morning. The reporting person stated that their son’s boots were taken from a shared hallway earlier that morning. They were last seen on the evening of February 4th. At that time, nothing else appeared to be missing outside of the other apartments within the building.

On Wednesday morning, an officer was dispatched to Sears Rd. for a report of a past larceny. The victim stated that over the past few months, she had begun noticing several items missing from her home. As she had continued to search for the various items, the victim began noticing even more of her property that could not be located. Police are investigating.

Around 11 o’clock in the morning, an officer arrived to a residence on Kent St. to tend to a report of past package thefts. The victim stated that over the past month, he had ordered and not received packages on several separate occasions. A recent delivery confirmation to his residence with no signs of the package prompted the victim to go through his prior, unreceived, purchases. At this point he concluded that they, too, must have been stolen from his residence. A follow-up has been requested.

Tuesday, February 6th

2/6

Around 2:45 in the afternoon, an officer was dispatched to a gym on Commonwealth Ave. for a larceny report. The victim stated that she had placed her valuables, unsecured, within the locker room. Upon returning back to the locker, her wallet and keys had been taken. 

On Tuesday evening, an officer was dispatched to St. Paul St. for a fraud report involving an IRS scam. The victim had received a call that afternoon from an individual claiming to be affiliated with the IRS. She was told that she owed years’ worth of back taxes. In order to avoid jail time, the caller told the victim that she would need to purchase pre-paid cards to pay off the balance due. The victim became suspicious and asked for confirmation regarding what she owed the IRS. The caller adamantly confirmed their affiliation with the Internal Revenue Service, influencing the nervous victim to purchase the aforementioned pre-paid cards. After doing so, the victim was reassured that this was a scam and hung up. They contacted the company associated with the cards and filed a report with Brookline Police after speaking with representatives. The case is active at this time. 

Monday, February 5th

2/5

An officer was dispatched to Brookline PD’s lobby for a larceny report on Monday, February 5. The victim stated that their workplace equipment had been removed from their office. This is an active case.

A store manager contacted the Station to report fraudulent activity on behalf of one of their former employees. The activity occurred during the months of August 2017 through January 2018. A follow-up has been requested for this active case.

2/2 through 2/3/2018

2/2

At approximately 2:10 on Friday afternoon, an officer was dispatched to the area of Brookline Ave/Parkway Rd. on a report of a breaking and entering and larceny of a motor vehicle. The victim stated that he had parked his car at this location during the early hours of Friday morning. Upon arriving back to his vehicle that afternoon, he noticed that his passenger's side window had been smashed out, with several items missing within his vehicle. In addition, the victim stated that the passenger side mirror had also suffered damage.

An officer was assigned to New Terrace Rd. for a report of a past breaking and entering. After leaving her residence that morning, the victim returned to discover her apartment in a state of disarray. A pair of boots had gone missing, in addition to a couple of electronic-related items. An arrest has been made.

A victim called the Brookline Police Station to report a burglary that had occurred at her residence on Friday afternoon. She stated that a prescription medication of hers had gone missing from her bathroom. It was noted that she had not had any guests recently and had seen the prescription two days prior to filling a report. This is an active case.

2/3

An officer was dispatched to Freeman St. for a larceny report Saturday morning. The victim stated that several pieces of her jewelry had been taken. The victim did not notice any other belongings missing from her residence.

February 1, 2018

2/1

On February 2, a Brookline Park Ranger called to report a dog biting incident. The involved parties included two dogs and their owners. Both stated that their dogs were off-leash when they approached one another and sniffed around. Without provocation, one of the dogs bit the other. One of the involved parties stated that they did not believe the incident was based on aggression. After observing this happen, she notified the owner of the bitten dog and they exchanged information. Both dogs are licensed with the Town of Brookline and are up to date on their shots.

An officer responded to the area of 365 Boylston St. for a report of a possible hit and run on Thursday. The reporting party stated that upon stopping at a red light while traveling on Washington St., he observed a truck side-swipe the driver's side of his vehicle. He followed the vehicle, trying to gain the driver's attention, with no success. The reporting party believes that because a truck hit his car, that the driver did not notice the collision. Minor damage was noted on the rear panel of the vehicle.

On Thursday afternoon, an officer was dispatched to Heath St. for a report of a larceny. The victim reported that their wedding band had gone missing. It was brought to attention later that afternoon that it had been misplaced while the victim's bedroom was being cleaned and would be returned the next day. A follow-up has been requested.

1/31/2018

1/31

On Wednesday, a man came into the station to report a past larceny. He told an officer that his bicycle had been taken from a stairwell on Beacon St. The victim reported seeing his bicycle last week. The case is active at this time.  

1/30/2018 - Continued

1/30

On Tuesday January 30, an officer was dispatched to Freeman Street to take a larceny report. The victim stated that she had discovered some of her jewelry missing upon returning from a vacation she went on. This is an active case.

An officer was dispatched to Heath St. for a larceny report. The victim stated that he noticed cash missing from his wallet, which he had left on his desk, after taking a shower. There was nothing else missing from the scene. The case is active.

1/29-1/30

1/29

On Monday January 29, officers were dispatched to Harvard St. for a reported shoplifting. The caller stated that the suspect had attempted to shoplift 3 pairs of sneakers. When the caller confronted the suspect, he had dropped 2 of the 3 pairs and ran out of the store. The case is active.

Units were dispatched to Kent St. for a report of a package theft on Monday evening. An officer observed two packages upon arrival, one of them being ripped open with its contents missing. The caller said that when he walked into the building, he saw a man picking up packages in the vestibule. He realized moments later that the man never tried to enter the building. He called the police, suspecting this person was actually trying to steal these packages from the vestibule. This is an active case.

1/30

In the early morning hours of Tuesday January 30, an officer was dispatched to Newell Rd. for a report of a suspicious male walking around the reporting party’s residence. The reporting party told the officer that she was in the kitchen getting ready to take her dog outside when she observed a man, dressed in all black. She described that the man had crossed over to the rear of her property and then went on to travel down a set of stairs which lead to a basement door. After some time, she observed him come back up the set of stairs. She then banged on the kitchen window, which sent him fleeing down the driveway.

The reporting party then called Brookline dispatch. Brookline Units canvassed the area of Newell Rd. Due to the fresh snowfall, officers were able to determine the path the suspect had made from the reporting party’s residence. Officers followed the foot prints which headed towards Parson’s Field, located on Kent St. At this time, an officer heard noises coming from the bleachers. The officer came around to the front of the bleachers and observed a male, dressed in dark clothing, running across the field. The officers pursued the subject, as he crossed over the MBTA tracks and ran along the Muddy River, where he was eventually caught.

The suspect is a 29 year old man from Malden. The case is currently active.

1/26-1/27

1/26

On Friday, an officer was dispatched to Harvard St. for a report of a shoplifting. The caller had witnessed a man take a pair of shoes, hide them within his pants, and then proceed to exit the store. Units searched the area but were unable to find the suspect. The case is active.

1/27

On Saturday, an officer spoke to a business owner regarding a larceny. The victim stated that the opening manager had discovered cash and a credit card missing from the register on the morning of Monday, January 22. The case is active.

*Eversource Utility Scamming Incident*

On the afternoon of Saturday, January 27, an officer was dispatched to a business on Beacon St. for a report of larceny. The owner said that he had received a call on his business telephone from someone claiming to be an Eversource representative earlier that day. The representative told the victim that their bill was overdue and immediate payment was needed to ensure his electricity was not shut off. The victim was told by an account services representative to purchase pre-paid money cards, as they were unable to accept credit card payments over the phone. The representative stated that the pre-paid money cards he needed to purchase were called "Green Dot Money Pak". Once the cards were purchased, he was asked to call back to arrange for the payment of his overdue bill.

Fearing the impact this potential power outage may have during peak-business hours, the victim purchased multiple "Green Dot Money Pak" cards. Once returning to his business, he called the phone number provided by the account services representative and made the payment for the overdue electricity bill.

A couple of hours later, the victim received another phone call from Eversource stating that they had made a mistake and he still owed an additional, over-due balance. The victim was then advised to call another representative to make a second payment. With much concern, the victim hung up, knowing he had been scammed. He contacted the landlord who informed him that the electric bill is incorporated into his lease. The case is still active at this time.

Brookline Residents,

        Utility scams are common ways that even the most vigilant people can fall victim to. They often pretend to be a representative of your provider, sometimes claiming that they will turn off your electricity or even threatening jail time as a means of receiving immediate payment. It is important to recognize the common signs of utility scams and the facts regarding your utility provider.

The Facts:

Both Eversource and National Grid will…

        Never ask customers to make direct payments over the phone.

        Never demand immediate transfer – via wire or pre-paid cards.

Both Eversource and National Grid Representatives and affiliated    

contractors will…

Always carry a company-issued photo ID and provide it when asked by the customer.

*If you believe you’ve been scammed or contacted by a utility scam artist, please report it to the Brookline Police Department. In addition, contact your utility provider.

Resources:

Eversource

Utilities United Against Scams

utilitiesunited.org/Pages/default.aspx

          

*Includes a Consumer’s Guide to Imposter Utility Scams

National Grid

www9.nationalgridus.com/aboutus/a3-1_news2.asp?document=7623

Better Business Bureau

Website

www.bbb.org/scamtips/

Scam Stopper Pages

www.bbb.org/scamtips/

1/25/2018

On the morning of January 25, an officer responded to Boylston St. for a report of an attempted larceny. The victim stated that he noticed marks around the ignition of his motorcycle that morning. When attempting to start the motorcycle, the keys would not turn in the ignition as it had appeared slightly damaged. This case is active.

On Thursday morning, officers stopped a man in Coolidge Corner for shoplifting. He was placed under arrest.

1/24/2018

On Wednesday January 24, an officer was dispatched to a gym on Commonwealth Ave for a report of an attempted larceny. The victim reported that he had set his phone on top of a locker upon arriving at the gym, and then proceeded to the restroom. When returning, the victim realized that their phone was no longer above the locker. He asked two males within the locker room to borrow a phone as a means of locating his lost one. The first male stated that he did not have his phone on him, while the second male offered his cell phone to the victim. When calling his own cell phone, he heard it inside the backpack of the first male who claimed he did not have his phone on him at the time. The victim confronted the suspect and he gave the victim his cell phone back. The suspect then proceeded to exit the gym onto Commonwealth Ave. This case is active.

1/23/2018

At approximately 4:03pm there was a report of an accidental discharge of a firearm on Naples Road. It was reported that a person getting out of a motor vehicle re-positioned a firearm he was carrying which caused it to accidentally discharge. The firearm discharged into an occupied dwelling and the owner of the firearm notified the residents of the accidental discharge. Police were notified and conducted an initial investigation. The owner of the firearm was fully cooperative and is properly licensed. The firearm owner surrendered his firearm license and the revolver he had discharged. Detectives are following up with the licensing authority on the issue.

On January 23 at approximately 8:45am, an officer witnessed a vehicle make an illegal left turn onto Beacon Street. The officer initiated a traffic stop and found that the driver had a suspended license. The vehicle was turned over to the passenger who had an active license and the driver will be summoned to court.

At approximately 5:04pm units responded to Chilton Street for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. An officer met with the owner and they searched the area, as it is common for owners to overlook the exact area they left their vehicle. While searching, the owner pointed out his vehicle operating towards the police cruiser on Essex St. with one occupant on board. The officer activated the overhead lights of the cruiser and the operator of the stolen vehicle attempted to speed away. The officer trailed the vehicle, and located it crashed against a curb on Worthington Rd. The driver was uninjured and was taken into custody. The driver, a juvenile, is being charged with Receiving Stolen a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Operation, Not Duly Licensed, Failure to Stop for a Police Officer, and One Way Violation.

At approximately 6:10pm an officer was dispatched to Heath St. for a report of a breaking and entering of a motor vehicle. The victim stated that he had parked his vehicle the night before and when he returned to it in the morning, he found both passenger doors wide open and the interior rummaged through. The victim reported nothing missing.

1/22/2018

1/22

On Monday, an officer was dispatched to Harvard St. for a report of graffiti. The reporting party left their office the afternoon prior and did not notice anything on the office building and surrounding area. However, upon returning to their place of work on the morning of January 22, they observed fresh paint on a fence and rear wall of the building. There does not appear to be any security cameras in the area. The case is currently active.

On Monday evening, an officer was dispatched to Beacon St. for a report of a past license plate theft. The victim stated they had noticed their plate was missing that afternoon. The case is active and security is attempting to review more footage at this time. 

1/19/2018 through 1/21/2018

1/19

On Friday, an officer was dispatched to Coolidge Corner for a report of shoplifting. The witness stated that the suspect stole three items of clothing. The case is active and video surveillance will be retrieved.

Officers were dispatched to the area of Beacon St and St Mary’s St. for a possible attempted larceny of property. The witness stated that they had observed what they believed to be someone trying to steal the tires off of a bicycle. Officers observed that the rear wheel had been unscrewed. The suspect will be summonsed to court.

1/21

On Sunday January 21, officers took a report of a past breaking and entering and larceny of a motor vehicle. The victim stated that they were parked on Brookline Ave. near the intersection of Netherlands Rd. at a metered space. Upon returning to the vehicle, the victim saw that the front passenger window was smashed. Personal belongings were stolen and miscellaneous items were strewn about the vehicle. A follow up has been requested and the case is currently active.

An officer responded to the intersection of Chapel St. and Longwood Ave. for a past breaking and entering and larceny of a motor vehicle. The victim had parked at a metered spot and upon returning found their passenger window had been smashed.  Their valuables had been taken from the front passenger’s seat. There is no surveillance footage from the area. The case is active.

1/18/2018

1/18

On the morning of January 18, an officer responded to Center St. for a fraud report. The victim had been seeking out services to repair a computer through an online repair company. After the distribution of funds, the victim had been scammed. The case is still active.

                *Online scams regarding “pop-up alerts” are common nationwide. It is easy to accidentally become a victim of schemes, as such. If you receive a pop-up alert notifying you that your computer has a virus or receive phone calls, both in-person and automated, please hang up to protect your bank accounts.

During the afternoon, an officer was dispatched for a graffiti complaint. The caller advised the officer that this was not that first time they had seen this property tagged. Photographs of the tags were taken and a patrolling officer was advised of the damage.

An officer assisted with reporting a stolen license plate on the afternoon of January 18. The victim believes her front plate was stolen off of her vehicle on Village Way. A dispatcher entered the license plate as stolen. The case is active at this time.

An officer was dispatched to Francis St. for a report of a package theft. The victim stated that they had placed an order online and had received a confirmation e-mail that the package had been delivered. Upon arriving home, the victim noticed that her packages had been opened and its contents had been taken. It is uncertain if there are surveillance cameras in or around the building.

An officer was dispatched to Netherlands Rd. for a package theft the evening of January 18. The victims reported receiving a delivery notification but did not notice the package upon arriving home. In addition, the victims reported receiving another delivery notification for two more packages. When they had gone to retrieve them, they were no longer in the foyer. A follow-up is being requested for this case.