Sting Nets Two GPS Thieves at Local Hotel

The theft of electronic devices from parked motor vehicles is occurring at an alarming rate all across the commonwealth. Thieves target GPS units, laptops, iPods, cell phones, and anything else of value to support their drug addiction. In an effort to stem the tide against such thefts, Burlington Police detectives and members of the Vice/Narcotics Unit recently conducted a sting operation at a local hotel. This particular hotel was chosen after consultation with the department’s crime analysis unit. Information provided by patrol officers was analyzed to establish a pattern and time frame for the detectives to utilize in planning the sting.

A bait vehicle with a GPS unit attached to the dashboard was placed in the parking lot. Management of the hotel supplied a room from which officers made observations below for suspicious activity. Detectives monitored the bait vehicle from unmarked cars while communicating with the lookout.

After several hours of surveillance, two men parked their car next to the bait vehicle after noticing the GPS unit. They walked throughout the parking lot searching for other potential targets. The thieves returned to the bait car, smashed out the window and removed the GPS unit from within. Officers quickly moved in and made the arrest. Several electronic devices were recovered from the suspects' vehicle including a laptop, three GPS units and two cell phones. Those devices had been stolen earlier from hotel parking lots along the Route 128 corridor. Detectives were able to track down the victims and return them to their very appreciative owners.

The Burlington Police Department intends to conduct similar stings in the future. We encourage citizens to remain cognizant of any suspicious activity and report it immediately to the police. We also recommend removing electronic items from your vehicle or placing them in the trunk whenever leaving the car unattended.

Officer Soda Earns Exceptional Service Award

On December 10, Officer William Soda was named a recipient of NEMLEC's annual Exceptional Service Award. NEMLEC is the acronym for the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council. NEMLEC is a regional consortium comprised of fifty police agencies stretching from Gloucester to Watertown, and from Somerville to Littleton.

Officer Soda earned his award through his diligent work in developing and implementing technology solutions for NEMLEC. While he has accomplished many tasks, his primary contribution this year was to implement the software benefits provided by SharePoint.

SharePoint is a product that allows users - in this case the NEMLEC member police departments - to share information quickly and easily. Photos, videos and reports can all be shared on the system, in real-time, which can greatly enhance an agency's ability to identify suspects, and to identify crime patterns and trends. Investigators in one community can easily sift through reports filed in other communities to identify commonalities between suspects and crimes.

Police have traditionally been restricted by artificial city/town boundaries when investigating crime - something that criminals are not restricted by. Through the use of SharePoint, communities no longer have this restriction and can identify related crimes occurring in other jurisdictions.

Officer Soda, along with Sergeant Greg Katz of the Billerica Police Department, were the two catalysts that moved this project to reality.

We congratulate Officer Soda on his excellent achievement!

BPD Serves Up Holiday Luncheon for Seniors

On Monday, December 8, volunteers from the Burlington Police Department served up a holiday feast for local seniors at our annual Senior Holiday Luncheon. A full course of turkey, stuffing, potatoes, squash and dessert were among the goodies dished out during this annual event.

Officers Steve Cross and Keith Sheppard facilitated the event and were supported by a cast of volunteers from the police department, including Cathy Devaney, Rosemarie Tieri, Officer Lyn Reynolds, Officer Ed Mackey, Lieutenant Steve O'Meara and Chief Fran Hart. Marge MacDonald from the Council on Aging also played a major role in organizing the event.

Besides dinner, guests enjoyed Christmas carols sung by seven of the volunteers' kids. The kids also served as waitresses, raffle-ticket-callers and as part of the clean-up crew. They were the real stars of the show.

Raffle prizes were drawn and included gift certificates, books, games and more.

The event is paid for by the Burlington Police Patrolmen's Association.

Police Department Awarded Underage Alcohol Enforcement Grant

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Highway Safety Division has selected the Burlington Police Department to receive nearly $5,000 in funding as part of their Underage Alcohol Enforcement Program.

The money is available for local departments to use in their activities designed to decrease access to alcohol by underage youth. These activities include compliance checks, party patrols and surveillance patrols.

During a compliance check, we send a person under 21 into a retail liquor store or restaurant in an attempt to purchase alcohol with no identification. We follow strict guidelines for this activity as prescribed by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. In a nutshell, it means that we can't use any deception to trick a server or seller into providing alcohol to the underage operative. What we are really testing here is the server's willingness to ask for identification for anyone that remotely seems underage. Since the operative is often 19 or 20 years old, there should never be any question about asking for identification.

A party patrol is a dedicated patrol for breaking up underage drinking parties and for enforcement of underage drinking laws.

Surveillance patrols, in conjunction with the other programs, involve surveillance in areas of suspected underage drinking, such as sporting events or in parking lots and these also result in enforcement of underage drinking laws.

The grant period runs through May 31, 2009.

Did That Police Officer Just Give Me a Chicken Sandwich?

Safety Officer Bernie Schipelliti tells us all about it:

The quick answer is yes, but let me explain. The members of the Traffic Division attempt to be visible around town as much as possible. One of our key locations is at the high school. As time permits, we station ourselves near the exit of the student parking lot to remind students to be properly buckled. Sometimes we even have a token for them - a reward for buckling up. In the Traffic Safety world this is known as "positive enforcement."

When we were there in October, we handed out ice scrapers, mouse pads and BPD pens. In passing, one student jokingly asked, "What, no food?" Well, you guessed it. This past Monday as students were exiting the parking lot they were given a hot chicken sandwich...if they were buckled up! One by one as cars exited, members of the Traffic Division conversed with the students about seatbelt safety while the school administration officials looked on and provided support. The students laughed, joked and couldn't believe that we were handing out sandwiches and not tickets.

Nearby, the police department's variable message board displayed the message:

Don't Be Chicken, Buckle Up.

A program like this would not be possible for the police department to do alone and we would like to thank Chick-fil-A of the Burlington Mall for generously donating 250 hot chicken sandwiches and the administration of Burlington High School. We value their partnerships and know that programs like this work by reminding teens that they need to be buckled up every trip, no matter how short the ride.

Detective Leary Offers Holiday Safety Tips

With the holiday and shopping season rapidly approaching, the Burlington Police Department would like to remind residents to practice their own version of "preventative police work" while shopping. Although the proximity to the Route 128/93 belt is an excellent advantage for residents and businesses, it also attracts people who might capitalize on the array of potential targets.

Opportunities for criminals increase with the spike in holiday shoppers at the area malls and specialty stores. Residents are encouraged to remove all valuables (i.e., GPS devices, laptops, cell phones, etc.) from their cars, when shopping or even when parked at home. If items cannot be removed, they should be placed out-of-sight, in the glove compartment or center console. If you are shopping during the lunch hour, place newly purchased items in the trunk or, if feasible, bring them with you into the office. This simple step will go a long way in thwarting thieves who are looking for a quick and easy target.

Another potential crime that will undoubtedly increase over the next few weeks/months is the classic “flim flam” scheme. In this type of scam, con-artists call area businesses pretending to have a connection with a local electronics store. The caller claims to have televisions at drastically reduced prices due to overstock. The victim is asked to meet the caller in the parking lot where cash is exchanged for a (bogus) receipt, along with instructions to then report to customer pick-up for the merchandise. Before the victim realizes the situation is a scam, the suspect has long since fled. This scam has been given a 21st century spin through the use of the popular website craigslist.com and other similar web sites. It is important to remember that reputable stores do not conduct cash-only business in parking lots.

In conjunction with the police department’s extra patrols and enforcement operations, residents can do small things that have a big impact. Following the simple steps outlined above, and remembering the old adage, “If something seems too good to be true, it usually is!” residents are exposed to far less risk, thus helping to ensure a happy - and crime-free - holiday season.

AAA Southern New England Honors BPD

On November 18, AAA Southern New England awarded the Burlington Police Department its National Gold Award. The inscription on the award reads:

In recognition of your outstanding achievements in traffic safety and your continuing efforts to educate and protect the citizens of your community. AAA salutes your commitment to traffic safety.

The award focuses largely on traffic safety programs rather than enforcement. Led by Sergeant Tom Browne, Officer Bernie Schipelliti and Officer Kevin Cooney comprise the Traffic Division, which is largely responsible for the innovative and effective programs that earned us this award.

Burlington was the only recipient of the National Gold Award in this region. It is the third straight year that we have been so honored.

Pictured above: (l-r) Diana Diaz, Officer Kevin Cooney, Chief Fran Hart, AAA's "Car Doctor" John Paul

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