ATTORNEY GENERAL COAKLEY ANNOUNCES ARREST IN CONNECTION WITH HOAX DEVICES FOUND IN AND AROUND BOSTON TODAY
Tonight, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced the arrest of an Arlington man in connection with today’s discovery of numerous hoax devices in and around the city of Boston. Peter Berdovsky, age 27, is charged with placing a hoax device (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 102A½), and disorderly conduct.
According to authorities, at approximately 7:50 a.m. today, MBTA employees at the Sullivan Square station in Charlestown observed a suspicious device on a stanchion. They immediately contacted MBTA Transit Police, who responded to the scene. Additional law enforcement agencies, including the Boston Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police, all responded and together commenced an investigation into the suspicious device. Throughout the day, additional devices were found at various locations in the city of Boston, as well as in Cambridge and Somerville. Federal authorities and other local law enforcement also assisted in the investigation throughout the day.
Investigators believe that Berdovsky placed the suspicious devices, a number of which have been located and removed. At this time, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the placement of the devices, including the involvement of the Turner Broadcasting Company and other groups or individuals, remains active and ongoing.
Berdovsky was placed under arrest without incident at 8:15 p.m. tonight in Arlington. He will be arraigned tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. in Charlestown District Court.
Mayor Menino’s Statement on Turner Broadcasting
“It is outrageous, in a post 9/11 world, that a company would use this type of marketing scheme. I am prepared to take any and all legal action against Turner Broadcasting and its affiliates for any and all expenses incurred during the response to today’s incidents. Boston will look to coordinate our efforts going forward with Cambridge, Somerville and any other affected agencies.”
COMMISSIONER’S STATEMENT FROM TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE
Earlier today, a series of suspicious devices were discovered in different locations in the greater Boston area. As a result, the Boston Police Department, in conjunction with the State Police, MBTA Police, Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies immediately responded to each location to investigate. At this time, the locations of the suspicious device are as follows:
1) Sullivan Square
2) Boston University Bridge
3) Stuart and Columbus Avenues
4) New England Medical Center
5) Longfellow bridge
6) Harvard Ave, Brighton
7) Washington and Water St., Boston
McCarthy overpass, Somerville
9) Memorial Drive / Mass Ave, Cambridge
Because of the number of suspicious devices found, the Boston Police Department activated the Unified Command Center immediately bringing together State Police, MBTA Police, Boston Fire, Boston EMS, the Mayor’s Officer of Emergency Preparedness, and the State Fusion Center to provide a unified response. Boston Police requested assistance for technical support from State and Federal agencies and this joint response allowed all involved agencies to share information and allowed for instant response and security of each scene. At this time the Boston Police Department and partner agencies are maintaining high visibility around numerous high profile locations, such as area hospitals, universities, bridges, and state and city buildings.
Information at this time suggests that the devices found do not pose a threat to public safety, the devices have been found to be inert. While the concern is lessened as a result of the investigation, I would like to remind citizens to treat any suspicious device with care, and to call 9-1-1 if any such device is found.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
WHAT: State and City officials will hold a press conference to provide the public with information regarding suspicious devices found in the Greater Boston area over the course of the day.
WHO: Governor Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino, Police Commissioner Ed Davis, Fire Commissioner Roderick Frasier, Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety Kevin Burke and other representatives from assisting law enforcement agencies.
WHEN: January 31, 2006 at 4:00 pm
WHERE: Boston Police Headquarters/Media Room
** Media will be escorted to a location inside of Boston Police Headquarters to capture footage of Command Center. Media should report to the Media Room for instructions. This opportunity will be immediately followed by a press conference in the media room.
Boston 24: A look at the last 24 hours in the City of Boston.
Significant incidents reported to the BPD, from Tuesday, January 30, thru 10 AM Wednesday, January 31, 2007.
Homicides: 0
Non-fatal Shootings: 0
Non-fatal Stabbings: 0
Street Robberies: 6
Commercial Robberies: 0
Bank: 2.
Other: 1. Home invasion.
Vehicle thefts: 3
Vehicle recoveries: 3. One arrest.
Larceny from motor Vehicles (motor-vehicle breaks): 12
Residential break-ins: 10
Commercial Break-ins: 2
Note: the information above is preliminary information, and should not be considered official crime statistics. The information is based on an initial review of incident reports and may not be a comprehensive listing of events. It is not a statistical analysis, but rather an initial tally of significant events. Some of the incidents included may be covered in more detail in other blog postings.
DAILY INCIDENTS FOR JANUARY 31, 2007
Bold Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested by Detail Officer
At approximately 11:38am yesterday, a detail officer performing a detail at 489 Gallivan Blvd./Mt. Washington Bank observed an individual look at the officer and quickly exit the bank. Immediately after that individual exited, a teller yelled to the officer that this person had just robbed the bank. The detail officer immediately exited the bank in pursuit of the bank robber while broadcasting the suspect’s description and direction of flight. Numerous units responded from Districts 3 and 11 and assisted the detail officer as he pursued this suspect. Officers, after some time, located the suspect and arrested him in the passenger seat of a car in the McDonald’s parking lot. Suspect, Ryan Lane, 28, of Boston was arrested and charged with Bank Robbery and the stolen money was recovered from the suspect.
Suspect Arrested for Shooting a BB Gun at Victim
Yesterday officers from District 14 arrested suspect, Sean P. Bowler, 18, of Brighton and charged him with 2 counts of Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon, and Malicious Destruction of Property.
At approximately 2:52pm yesterday officers responded to 43 Snow St. in Brighton for a call for shots fired. On arrival, the victims directed officers to an open window at 40 Union St. There, officers located a BB rifle, a BB pistol and several individuals on the second floor. After speaking to these individuals, officers determined that the suspect, who was on scene, had fired several shots at the victims. The suspect was arrested and officers returned outside where they observed evidence of the shots fired from the BB gun.
Shoplifter Confesses to Past Crimes
A Boston Police officer performing a paid detail at 7 Allstate St. in Dorchester/Target last night arrested suspect, Kwaniesha Ingram, 17, of South Boston and charged her with Shoplifting.
Around 7:10pm last night, a store manager alerted the detail officers that a shoplifting suspect was walking out of the store. The officer approached the suspect and immediately observed several stolen CDs protruding from the suspect’s pocket. The suspect was escorted back to the store and asked to surrender the stolen good to the store but she refused. After refusing to surrender the stolen items, the suspect was then told that she was being placed under arrest for shoplifting at which time she struggled to resist arrest. The suspect was placed under arrest and while being transported to the district station stated that she had stolen 25 CDs from the store the day before and that she would return to the store and shoplift again.
Boston 24: A look at the last 24 hours in the City of Boston.
Significant incidents reported to the BPD, from Monday, January 29, thru 10 AM Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
Homicides: 0
Non-fatal Shootings: 0
Non-fatal Stabbings: 3
Street Robberies: 5
Commercial Robberies: 2
Other: 1.
Vehicle thefts: 5. Two attempted.
Vehicle recoveries: 8. five arrested in one incident.
Larceny from motor Vehicles (motor-vehicle breaks): 18
Residential break-ins: 16
Commercial Break-ins: 1
Note: the information above is preliminary information, and should not be considered official crime statistics. The information is based on an initial review of incident reports and may not be a comprehensive listing of events. It is not a statistical analysis, but rather an initial tally of significant events. Some of the incidents included may be covered in more detail in other blog postings.
Message from the Commissioner
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding job that has been done by members of this department. The men and women of the Boston Police Department continue to work extremely hard to keep this city safe. You have been ceaseless in your efforts to reduce crime and engage in true partnerships with key stakeholders in our neighborhoods.
Your work has earned the department an international reputation for its commitment to Community Policing. As I said at my swearing in, one of my goals is to build upon this commitment. Community Policing is a department-wide philosophy, not simply a strategy or unit within a department. In order for us to continue to be successful, we must be organized in such a way that the entire agency supports this philosophy.
The patrol force is the backbone of this organization. As Police Commissioner, it is my responsibility to put in place a command and accountability structure that supports this commitment to our patrol force. It is also my responsibility to ensure that every police officer- patrol officer, detectives, rapid response units, special operations units and their superiors- all operate with a Community Policing philosophy that focuses more on the prevention of crime than it does on the rapid response to it.
The Boston Police Department will soon implement a COMPSTAT process. COMPSTAT is a command and accountability system where the department commanders review crime patterns. The Boston Police COMPSTAT process will be a bi-weekly meeting among commanders and external partners, who will focus on geographical accountability coupled with intelligence-driven deployment. The goal of this process is to provide oversight to facilitate the effective deployment of resources, to create geographic accountability and to enhance cooperation and communication department-wide.
The department is making the following organizational changes to support the successful implementation of COMPSTAT and geographic-based policing.
- Captains will be responsible for developing strategies to address crime and quality of life issues specific to their geographic command.
- Captains will be assisted by one of three Deputy Superintendents tasked with prioritizing and allocating resources within a newly zoned area. Each Deputy will be responsible for one of three geographic zones. The new zones are as follows:
Zone 1: District A1, A15, A7, D4 and D14
Zone 2: B2, B3, C6 and C11
Zone 3: E5, E13 and E18 - As recognition that the Youth Violence Strike Force (YVSF) and the Boston Police School Police Unit are fundamentally patrol resources, both units will be moved from the Bureau of Investigative Services to the Bureau of Field Services.
The Youth Violence Strike Force will be located at 170 Hancock Street in Dorchester. They will report to a Deputy Superintendent. Utilizing tactics proven successful in the past, YVSF officers will conduct operations at the discretion of their commander. They will assist with visibility and proactive strategies to reduce gang violence.
Boston Police School Police Unit will continue to operate from their present location at Latin Academy. All patrol officers of this unit will now report in uniform.
- District detectives will now be working under a central authority to coordinate a unified investigative response. The District detectives will be moved from their current location in the Bureau of Field Services and will be placed under the administrative command of the Bureau of Investigative Services. District detectives will maintain an operational responsibility to the District Captains.
- The Tactical Mountain Bike Unit will transfer from Special Operations and will report to a Deputy Superintendent under the Bureau of Field Services. The Mountain Bike Unit will be housed at 170 Hancock Street in Dorchester. This unit will be deployed in various patrol assignments.
- The Bureau of Internal Investigations and the Bureau of Professional Development will be combined to create the Bureau of Professional Standards and Development. This reflects the reality that training is vital to all aspects of Community Policing. In addition, a review of citizen complaints against officers indicated that many of the issues identified could be mitigated with training that is designed to prevent misconduct.
The Bureau of Professional Standards and Development will come under the command of Superintendent Robert Harrington. Deputy Superintendent Marie Donahue will be assigned to the Training & Education Division as Academy Commander.
- Drug Control Unit resources will be reallocated so that each District will have dedicated DCU personnel.
- Lastly, disorder control is a fundamental component of Community Policing. Captains are expected to place an emphasis on the individual needs of each neighborhood. To assist them with this requirement, I have appointed Deputy Superintendent Gladys Gaines to serve as a Liaison between the department and City Hall to focus exclusively on issues of neighborhood services and to lead the department’s response to the complex issue of homelessness.
By reaffirming our commitment to Community Policing and structuring our agency so it supports this mission at every level, we are giving this department the foundation it needs to drive down violent crime, adapt to emerging crime trends with innovative programs and make our city safe.
Ed Davis, Commissioner
DAILY INCIDENTS FOR JANUARY 30, 2007
Suspect Arrested After Making Special Delivery at McDonald’s
Yesterday around 5:30pm, officers from District 11 arrested suspects, Jarred Gaines, 21, of Dorchester and charged him with Trafficking Class B Drugs while suspect, Robert Radford, 40, of New Hampshire was arrested and charged with Possession of Class B.
Officers were on patrol in the area of Granite Ave. and Gallivan Blvd. when they observed a motor vehicle enter the McDonald’s parking lot, and make several phone calls via cell phone. After some time, officers noticed another vehicle enter the parking lot and the initial vehicle followed that vehicle. Officers continued surveillance of the two cars and made observations that lead them to believe that a drug transaction had just taken place. Based on those observations, officers stopped both cars and discovered that indeed a drug transaction had taken place. After both suspects were arrested officers recovered and seized a substantial amount of drugs and money.
B&E Suspect Arrested with the Help of Civilian Witness
Around 2:05am today, officers from District 6 responded to a radio call for vandalism in progress at Alfredo’s Restaurant located on the corner of East 8th St. and Dorchester Ave. Officers received a description of the suspect and shortly thereafter located an individual matching suspect description. That individual was detained pending further investigation of the incident. Officers subsequently spoke to a witness who observed the suspect enter and exit the store with the cash register in hand. The witness also observed the suspect place the register in a trash barrel. Officers conducted a search of the area and located the trash barrel with the cash register intact. The suspect was positively identified by the witness and placed under arrest. Suspect, Frederick Washington, 41, of South Boston was arrested and charged with Breaking and Entering, and Malicious Destruction of Property.
Robbery Suspect Caught in the Act
This morning around 4:30am, officers from District 11 responded to 1420 Dorchester Ave. in Dorchester/Store 24 to investigate a person. Officers were summoned to the store after the suspect walked into the store and asked the clerk questions regarding the whereabouts of security, and how long they would be gone. Officers responded to the store and on arrival observed through the front glass window, the victim backing away from the register with his hands up in the air. Officers also observed the described suspect inside the store with his face partially covered by a mask. Officers entered the store and subsequently placed the suspect under arrest after speaking to the victim and a witness. The victim and witness reported to officers that after the suspect initially came in the store asking suspicious questions, he left and returned threatening to blow up the store unless he was given money from the register. Suspect, David Rodriguez, 21, of Dorchester was arrested and charged with Attempted Unarmed Robbery.
Daily Incidents for January 29, 2007
Robbery on E. Newton
About 6:53 PM on Sunday 01/28/07 Officers received a call for a robbery at 34 E Newton St. Upon arriving at the scene, they found a victim who stated that while walking to her car when two suspects came up from behind her and knocked her to the ground. The two suspects, described as wearing dark clothing and hoods, punched, stole her backpack and fled toward E. Newton and Harrison Avenue.
Approximately 18 minutes later, officers spoke with a second victim who stated that he was walking on East Concord Street when he was accosted by two suspects. One of the suspects punched him in the nose and grabbed him in a choke hold. The suspects then took the victim’s wallet and fled on foot.
Security personnel at Boston Medical Center observed two individuals fitting the suspect’s descriptions walking through BMC. Upon being approached by security, the suspects fled toward Massachusetts Avenue with BMC security in pursuit. The officers were joined by Boston Police officers, and one of the suspects, Leon Williams, 21, of Boston, was stopped at Mass Avenue and placed under arrest for receiving stolen property, assault and battery, and unarmed robbery. Property belonging to both victims was recovered by BMC security personnel.
Armed Robbery Arrest
Officers received a call for an armed robbery in progress at the 140 N. Beacon Street, Brighton. Arriving at the store, officers interviewed witnesses who stated that a white male entered the store and approached the counter displaying a silver hand gun. The suspect then fled the store on foot running toward Market Street. A short time later, an officer observed a white male, later identified as Brian Hurley, 25, of Brighton, walking in his direction. As soon as Mr. Hurley spotted the officer, he ran into 518 Western Avenue. When he emerged a few moments later the officer questioned him and, for the safety of other conducted a search of the suspect’s backpack. A handgun was recovered during this search. Hurley was arrested and charged with armed robbery
Nasty Neighbor
About 7:00 PM hours on 1/27/07, a telephone complaint was made to District 4. The caller stated that while sitting in her car on Warren Avenue, she observed a young man walking his dog. When he failed to clean up after the dog, she asked the young man to clean after his dog. The man left only to return five minutes later, whereupon he advanced towards her car and started shouting and yelling profanities. He went on to declare that he lives in a home valued above $1 million, and that he was offended at the apparent lack of a Resident Parking Sticker on the victim’s vehicle. Caller states that he then started banging on her window and kicked the tires of her car and challenged her to get out of the car and fight him. Caller states that she did not accept his challenge and instead told him to feel free to call the police. When asked where he lived, he did not answer and left.