This is very unfortunate, but interestingly it comes just as we've been debating the need to give vision and road tests to elderly drivers here in Massachusetts.
Making it even more interesting, is the fact that New Hampshire already requires road tests for driver's over 75. The debate here in Massachusetts has been looking at 85 as the age where road tests are required.
Thoughts?
It turns out there is at least a tiny bit of a local flavor to the good news the FBI released yesterday when they announced that violent crime was down 2.5 percent and property crime was down 1.6 percent nationwide in 2008.
The Northeast was the only region of the country where property crimes, such as burglary and theft, were up in 2008. They were up 1.6 percent here.
Lowell saw increases in both categories of crime in 2008, but during the first three months of this year robbery and murder are both down. Burglary is up, but only slightly.
Superintendent Lavallee just forwarded me the numbers this afternoon. They're limited, but if you want to take a look at the excel spreadsheet just click this link.
Pelham, NH Police Chief Joe Roark sent out a message this afternoon asking for help in spreading the word that a receipt may no longer be unassailable proof that a person has made a legitimate purchase at a local store.
Roark said police have identified a website that allows users to print out receipts from various stores that even, purportedly at least, contain a scannable bar code.
Though the website claims to be for "novelty" purposes Roark said the criminal possibilities are numerous.
Shoplifters could steal high-end merchandise, print a receipt and then return it for cash, employees could generate fake receipts for expense reports, and thieves could generate fake receipts to give themselves credibility while trying to sell items on eBay or Craigslist to name a few.
The shoplifting scam in particular seems troublesome, as I've read about many cases of shoplifters returning stuff for cash instead of just taking what they need recently. (There just aren't many locals stores where you can shoplift heroin).
Roark says local stores should pay close attention to receipts, and call police right away if they think they have a bogus one. Pelham Police can be reached at (603) 635-2411.
Roark didn't share the website's url, but a quick google turned up a few such sites. I'm not going to be the one to share, though.
I'm mostly amused by the website's claims that they're for novelty purposes only.
Is there seriously a segment of the population that sits around printing receipts to get their kicks? Am I missing out on all the fun here?
A quiet few spring days and nights is apparently exactly the climate in which this one (or more?) pickup truck /Jeep stalker(s) in the Burlington Mall area likes to operate.
As he/they cruises around at all hours day and night, looking to pick off catalytic converters from the exhaust system in the vulnerable underbelly of higher wheel-base vehicles that have been left unattended.
Even in the Sears parking lot at the mall in daylight!
Here's the full story on a rash of catalytic converter thefts this week, with much thanks to Burlington Police officers John Lynch and Dan Hanafin:
By John Collins
jcollins@lowellsun.com
BURLINGTON -- Four thefts of catalytic converters in two days from three pickup trucks and a Jeep has prompted Burlington police to advise local owners of vehicles with high wheel-bases to be wary of suspicious activity surrounding their parked vehicle, Officer John Lynch told The Sun.
A catalytic converter is a loaf of bread-sized section of the exhaust system that is accessible from underneath a vehicle. It contains the precious metal platinum, which thieves often try to sell to scrap metal dealers. On Thursday, the closing market price for platinum was $1,147, according to platinumprice.org.
"We heard news that the Midwest has really been getting hit hard recently with this type of theft, and now it appears to be happening here," Lynch said.
The victims of the four catalytic converter thefts in Burlington this week include the owners of two 2009 Toyota Tacomas, a 1996 Toyota pickup, and a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The thefts occurred both during the day and overnight while the vehicles were parked outside the Sears store at the Burlington Mall, in an office park on Wayside Road, and in the parking lot of 6 New England Executive Park, off Burlington Mall Road, where two vehicles were hit a day apart, police say.
In each case, the thief apparently used a battery operated saw to hack off the catalytic converter, probably needing only in a few minutes to complete the job. "With cars, you'd have to jack it up to get to it, but pickups and SUVs, they just roll under it," Lynch said.
Besides the several hundred dollar-cost of replacing the catalytic converter, the part's hasty removal often causes damage to the vehicle's computer wiring or fuel line, mechanics say.
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In other words folks, if you happen to spot somebody laying on their back under a car using what sounds like a battery-operated saw (or even a hacksaw maybe?) in the mall parking lot, or at the commuter lot in Tyngsboro, don't automatically assume that person is working on their OWN vehicle.
You could be seeing a CC/platinum thief in action!
- JC
Dracut made a nice arrest on a house break Saturday, but it took me a bit to track the story down. It's still worth a mention I think.
They got a call Sunday about 8 p.m., after a resident of 85 Wheeler Road had a guy break into his front door and go running up the steps of his home. The resident yelled at the burglar, who must have thought no one was home.
He promptly ran back down the steps and out the door.
The homeowner had earlier noticed a man come to the door, and then leave in a black Volkswagen with a broken tail light in back. He saw the same car as the burglar fled.
The homeowner, who was unharmed, told police about the Volkswagen, and Sgt. Robert Richard spotted it on Pelczar Road a short distance from the scene.
Both the driver and passenger in the car had arrest warrants, and both were later charged with breaking and entering at night.
The driver was Patrick Donovan, 32, of Dracut. The passenger was Shawn Keefe, 28, of Tyngsboro, who had a couple warrants for other breaks in Lowell and Billerica.
Good thing the resident was attentive enough to notice the vehicle, and that Sgt. Richard was alert enough to spot it.
Police are still investigating whether Keefe and Donovan may have been involved in other recent breaks as well.
Burglaries have been up in Lowell and most towns around the region, although they were down in Dracut between 2007 and 2008. Nice arrests like this could help continue that trend.
There have been a lot of robbery surveillance pictures lately, but today we're going to back to the very first bank robbery to grace the pages of this blog.
Here are two new angles on the guy who held up Enterprise Bank, 430 Gorham St., back on March 24.
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Police already released a very clear photo of him taking the cash over the counter, but today sent me these, which show the guy's face even more.
Here are the previous-released photos too, just so you don't have to search for them.
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If anyone knows who this guy call Lowell police at (978) 937-3200 or Crimestoppers at (978) 459-TIPS (8477). If you call Crimestoppers with a name you can stay anonymous, but they'll assign you a number. If the name or information you provide leads police to an arrest, you'll be able to go to a local bank, provide only that number, and claim up to $1,000. It won't be robbery. But you'll still walk away with plenty of cash.
Lowell PD's criminal bureau caught up with one accused bank robber today, and an hour later released some photos of yet another one that's on the loose.
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This guy held up the Enterprise Bank on Gorham Street Saturday morning. No weapon shown, he just passed a note and took off. He's not to be confused with the skinnier guy who held up the same bank in late March.
If you know who this guy is, or the guy in the other bank robbery post from a while back, call (978) 937-3200, or Crimestoppers. If you call Crimestoppers, not only can you stay anonymous, but a number you are assigned when you give your tip can help you get up to $1,000 if your information leads detectives to an arrest.
