Monday, April 26
Malicious damage at Warren Field: At 7:38 p.m., a caller complained three people were riding dirt bikes on a playing field, tearing it up in the process. The riders in question were gone upon police arrival.
Tuesday, April 27
Attempted break-in on Commonwealth Avenue: At 6:02 a.m., the security alarm went off at Boston House of Pizza. Police responded and found at the scene a young man, who refused to give his name and repeatedly asked where he could find money and lighters. Police arrested one juvenile.
Turkey complaint on St. Paul Street: At 9:45 a.m., a caller complained that a turkey had been loitering outside his building for more than 15 minutes, despite the caller’s multiple attempts to move the turkey along. Police rendered assistance.
Jake Gross / brookline@wickedlocal.com
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Brookline has experienced a sharp increase in car break-ins, according to the Brookline Police Department.
From Jan. 1 to April 20, there were 34 car break-ins up from the 32 reported in the same period in 2020 and nearly 90% more than the 18 reported during that period in 2019, according to Officer Nicholas Goon.
The areas experiencing the most car break-ins so far this year are in neighborhoods surrounding Coolidge Corner. Several break-ins have occurred on the roads near Pleasant Street, as well as those surrounding John Street.
In an email, Goon wrote that he believes the increase in car break-ins is a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Frustration. Anxiety. Resignation.
Those feelings have haunted Brookline Police Department employees in recent months, as the town – and the nation – reckons with issues of social justice and the role of policing in public safety.
The result: Brookline police morale is at an all-time low, according to an anonymous survey of Police Department employees.
The Select Board’s Committee on Policing Reforms surveyed more than 100 department employees – more than 53% of the department’s total employees – between Feb. 22 and March 6.
“The survey found, unsurprisingly, that morale in the department is very low, with 86% calling morale poor and just 3% good or excellent,” according to the committee’s report.
Monday, April 12
Bicycle theft on Lawton Street: At 9:46 a.m., a caller reported their bike stolen from a communal space. Police took a report.
Assault on South Street: At noon, police responded to Bournewood Hospital for a physical fight between two patients, with facial injuries reported. Police rendered assistance.
Fraud on Pond Avenue: At 12:42 p.m., a caller told police he provided his Social Security number and bank information to a scammer. Police took a report.
Theft on Centre Street: At 2:02 p.m., a caller reported someone – possibly a home health aide – took a federal stimulus check from her mother’s apartment and cashed it. Police took a report.
Monday, April 5
Motorcycle theft on Beacon Street: At 9:58 a.m., a caller told police someone stole his motorcycle overnight. The caller wasn’t certain whether he had left the keys in the ignition. The motorcycle was recovered Friday in Roxbury and towed.
Suspicious person on Beacon Street: At 12:50 p.m., a caller reported that a man followed her to her car. Police took a report.
Suspicious person on Beacon Street: At 1:56 p.m., police received a report of a man wearing a jacket with the Confederate flag on it. The caller who made the report told police the man had a threatening demeanor. There was nothing showing upon police arrival.