by Chief John Moore
8/11/2013

·        On July 5, 2013 a dental office in the town of Natick was broken into during off hours. No signs of forced entry. Laptops, televisions, and loose hard drives were taken. On premises video shows a white male, 30-40 years of age, medium build, short cropped hair, wearing light colored shorts, a t-shirt and sneakers. Exterior video shows a black 4-door vehicle with the front passenger side headlight out. Lesson learned: in this day and age video is law enforcement’s best friend, and with the availability of social media the footage can be disseminated to a huge segment of the population. Eventually someone comes forward and identifies the perpetrator and we are able to prosecute these individuals. 

·        On July 14, 2013 the Marlboro Market in Marlborough was robbed at gun point (described as a black revolver). Suspect is a black male, 5’8” to 5’10”, 180-200lbs, early 20s, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans with black markings on the rear pockets, and red/black/white high tops. Suspect fled on foot. Lessons learned: this is an excellent detailed description of the criminal. The more information the better, especially distinctive factors such as the rear pockets. Also, convenience stores are a frequent target of thieves due to the late closing hours and typical one employee working around that time.  

·        On July 15, 2013 in Bellingham a white male – white female team stole an employee’s cell phone from a tanning salon while the business was open. A     distraction technique was used. Suspects left in a white midsize sedan. Lesson learned      : Theft/larceny offenses are often carried out by two person teams. One person is usually the distracter/lookout and the other is the actual thief that carries out the crime. Both are equally culpable under the law.  

·        On July 21, 2013 the BIG Y in Franklin was robbed. The suspect left in a blue Ford Focus. Lesson learned: an accurate vehicle registration is of vital importance to law enforcement. This is the lead that carries any investigation whether it is the owner of the car that completed the crime or the car was borrowed by the perpetrator. A description of the criminal is good, but the plate is almost always as good or better. 

·        On July 23, 2013 a jewelry store in Framingham was robbed at gun point (black handgun with a wooden grip). Suspect is a tall heavyset black man wearing black clothing, with white gauze wrapped around his head and hands. Suspect assaulted and injured the female clerk. Lessons learned: jewelry stores are a favorite target of thieves due to minimal employees, the tremendous value of the inventory, the portability of the stolen items, and the easy resale of what was taken. Also, some criminals have very distinctive attire (i.e. gauze), and this may be the key leading law enforcement to an arrest.  

·        On July 28, 2013 the Savmore gas station in Bellingham was robbed by two suspects wearing dark clothing, both masked, and one who possibly had an Indian accent. Pistol shown and used to whip/assault one of the victims. Lesson learned: gas stations are another high value target for the same reasons as convenience stores (late hours, minimal employees, cash on hand that cannot be deposited, etc.)