Boston Police Investigate Child at 8 Hartford Street, Dorchester

Boston Police Department is investigating a child that was last seen in the area of 8 Hartford Street, Dorchester. Child may be with a white male, operating a black 4 door sedan, and an unknown passenger in the rear seat.   The sedan has a partial license plate of the #8.

Anyone who observes the vehicle is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-494-TIPS (8477) or 911.

Multi-Agency Cooperation Enables Area Police Departments to Team Up and Take Down Suspect Responsible for Close to 200 Breaks and Over a Million Dollars in Stolen Goods

At about 10:00am, on Monday, June 18, 2012, while assisting members of the NORPAC Task Force (Norfolk County Police Anti Crime Task Force) regarding a larger investigation relative to a series of residential breaking and entering incidents that had occurred throughout the region over the past year, detectives from the Boston Police Department and officers assigned to NORPAC approached a jewelry store located at 333 Washington Street (Unit 516) at Downtown Crossing. Investigators entered the store and, after identifying themselves as police officers, asked to speak with the owner of the store. Upon meeting the owner, officers showed and informed the owner that a search warrant had been applied for and was later granted to search the store.

A search of the store enabled officers to identify and recover several stolen items that had been reported stolen during a break which took place on May 15, 2012 in the area of 32 Garrison Street. At the time, over $80,000 dollars of worth of merchandise (including jewelry and computers) was reported stolen from that location. In addition to the location in Boston, investigators also recovered goods stolen from a location in Brookline. The total of the merchandise stolen from both locations (Boston & Brookline) is estimated at approximately $250,000.  

Officers arrested the owner of the store, Florin Ghita, 62, of Weymouth, and charged him with Receiving Stolen Property.

As part of the larger investigation, investigators from several jurisdictions including Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Norwood and Norfolk, while assigned to the NORPAC task force, in collaboration with detectives from Boston, Brookline, Westwood, Medford and Lexington were able to identify the suspect responsible for the breaks. On Monday, June 18, 2012, officers from Natick, Boston and Framingham arrested Craig Cromartie, 44, of Framingham. Cromartie is charged with three counts of Breaking & Entering at Night with Intent to Commit a Felony.

At present, additional charges are pending as investigators believe Mr. Cromartie is responsible for upwards of 200 breaks which netted over a million dollars in stolen merchandise.

Police Remind Residents To Be Vigilant Of Suspicious Neighborhood Activity:

The Boston Police Department continues to focus on the following initiatives to address concerns relative to residential break-ins. Officers also would like to take this opportunity to offer the community safety tips and prevention information.

Boston Police Initiatives Include:

• Residential break-in reports are analyzed by our Intelligence Center (BRIC) daily and officers are deployed to areas of concern.
• The BRIC has a full-time analyst dedicated to monitoring and analyzing residential break-ins.
• Detectives respond to each incident and evaluate for print and DNA evidence at the premises.
• Detectives canvass the building for possible witnesses, security footage etc.
• Detectives and Uniformed officers aggressively attempt to apprehend any persons wanted for B&E.
• Detectives work closely with local management companies to ensure that they have taken the necessary safety steps to properly secure buildings such as alarms on fire escapes etc.
• Detectives assigned to days attend arraignments of person arrested for B&E and attempt to have sufficient bail imposed and probation or parole revoked if possible.
• Community Service Officers, sometimes with the assistance of local youth, frequently distribute awareness bulletins to residents which offer prevention information.
• Officers offer complimentary home security analysis for all community members.
• Officers work closely with Court Probation to identify known B&E suspect that are active or just off probation for B&E’s. If active on probation these suspects will be visited to make sure they are in compliance of the conditions of probation. All identified suspects will be looked at for the past B&E’s on the district
• Walking beats are frequently assigned to areas identified as experiencing B&E incidents in an effort to increase uniform visibility.
• BPD has created a database of known B&E suspects for officer’s use in patrol vehicles.
• Community Service Officers continue to advise residents at all the community meetings to call 911 for suspicious individuals in and around their neighborhood.
• Community Service Officers have advised College’s to issue alerts to their students and provide them with tips on target hardening their residence.
• Boston Police Districts frequently share best practices with one another to put forth the most effective initiatives citywide.

Prevention Tips:

• Use sturdy doors.
• Solid wooden doors or doors reinforced with steel offer much more protection than hollow core wooden doors.
• Use safe locks. Adding quality deadbolt locks is a great idea because they can’t be ‘popped’ the way spring-latch locks can.
• Don ‘t buzz people into the building without knowing who they are
• Thieves use many disguises and some- pose as someone that they are not.
• Strangers should be questioned as to their business in a building. This can be done in a polite way and is essential.
• Lock your windows.
• When you are not at home, always lock your first floor windows.
• In a single family home or a multi-dwelling building, the outer hallway door should be locked. If a thief has access to the inner hallway, he now has a cover from the public’s eye and extra time to break through the front door without being noticed.
• Introduce yourself to your neighbor. Consider having a neighbor or friend watch your home when you’re on vacation.
• Call 911 to report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood
• Call your local district station and request a home security analysis.

Contact Information:

Any community member interested in receiving a complimentary home security analysis from officers can schedule an appointment by calling your local district station. District station contact information is located at BPDNews.com.

Community members with information on residential break-ins is encouraged to contact the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department wants to assure community members that the department is only interested in what you now, not who you are.

Boston 24: Weekend Update – Data from Friday @ 10AM through Monday @ 10AM

Homicides: 1
Non-fatal Shootings: 1
Non-fatal Stabbings: 8

Street Robberies: 12
Commercial Robberies: 1
Bank: 1
Other: 0

Vehicle Thefts: 13
Vehicle Recoveries: 8
Breaks: 32

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.

Happy Father’s Day from the Boston Police Department!!!

Thanks Dad!!!

On this day, Sunday, June 17, 2012, the Boston Police Department would like to thank and acknowledge all the fathers out there on this very special day. While most would readily agree that there are fewer professions more taxing and testing than that of a police officer, police officers are quick to respond and point out that, while our work may be challenging, there is no work or job more important than that of a father. So, on this day, to all the fathers out there, we thank you and wish you a very Happy Father’s Day.

Whose Idea Was It Anyway??? (History of Father’s Day)

The credit for the creation of Father’s Day belongs to Sonora Smart who smartly suggested that fathers deserved a day of thanks and appreciation. As such, the first acknowledgement of Father’s Day took place on June 19, 1910 at a YMCA in Spokane, Washington. On that day, pastors from Sonora’s church delivered a sermon celebrating and acknowledging the contributions and importance of fathers.     

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Forty eight years later in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father’s Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.

Update: Traffic Advisory Relative to Gasoline Spill in the area 1246 Dorchester Ave (Between Freeport & Hoyt Streets)

With the afternoon commute approaching, traffic will certainly be slowed in the area in and around 1246 Dorchester Ave from Freeport Street to Savin Hill Ave.  Cleaning crews are actively working in the area from last night’s oil spill.

As such, motorists are asked and encouraged to seek alternative routes detouring them away from the impacted location.