String of Car Break-ins Reported to Medfield Police

Medfield Police received five calls last week from residents reporting their vehicles had been gone through and in some cases items taken, according to police reports.

Medfield Chief of Police Robert Meaney Jr. said the string of car-breaks was “probably all related” and this type of crime typically occurs once or twice a year.

“[This occurs] usually in warmer months,” Meaney said. “They are crimes of opportunity because the cars are unlocked, often with items of value in view.”

Four of the five calls reporting breaking and entering a motor vehicle came into the station on Friday, July 22. Medfield Police received the other call on Tuesday, July 19, according to police reports.

Reports of Car Break-ins:

• Tuesday, July 19: At 2:05 p.m., a resident from Granite Street called to report within the last two days someone went through their two unlocked vehicles parked in the driveway and also went into their garage. Resident requested Medfield Police to “keep an eye on the area,” according to police reports. The resident also reported beer was missing from the garage.
• Friday, July 22: At 11:07 a.m., a resident reported some time on July 21, someone went through their cars on Forest Street. Nothing was reported taken, according to police reports.
• Friday, July 22: At 5:19 p.m., a resident on Forest Street requested to speak to an officer about her car being broken into on July 21, according to police reports.
• Friday, July 22: At 5:54 p.m., a resident on Oriole Road reported his three cars were gone through on July 21 and reported money was taken. He said he thought about $20 in cash was missing, according to police reports and wanted it logged. He said he did not need to see an officer.
• Friday, July 22: At 6:53 p.m., a resident from Forest Street came into the police station to report some items were missing from his vehicle from July 21. Officer Robert Flaherty spoke to the man.

Meaney said money from the console area of the vehicle is the most common item taken during these crimes of opportunity but added that on occasion some CDs or small electronic devices may also be taken. Meaney confirmed that CDs were taken from one of the car breaks on Forest Street, while none of the car breaks reported any electronic devices missing.

In response to one of the resident’s request to “keep an eye on the area,” Meaney said officers do “pay more attention” but there are limits to what they can do to prevent these crimes from occurring.

“The reality is [the crime] usually happens in the middle of the night when anyone committing these crimes can easily hear and see a car coming and remain out of sight,” Meaney said. “It has not occurred in any of these cases but often the callers will tell us the dog was barking, their car alarms went off or they heard some noises but did not think it was anything to be concerned about and waited until the next day to call us.”

Meaney said to better assist police in finding individuals committing these crimes, residents should call when first alerted and not wait until the next day.

"It's helpful," he said.

Other Tips to Prevent Car Break-ins:

• “Locking the car, garage and house doors is a significant deterrent since now the individual needs to make some noise that may attract attention if they want to continue with the break,” Meaney said.
• “Not leaving valuable items in the car, especially in view, is very helpful,” Meaney said.
• “Exterior lights that operate on motion is helpful but not a guaranteed deterrent,” Meaney said.

No damage was reported to any of the vehicles that were gone through and Meaney said damage during a crimes like these are “rare.”

“[The crime] is called breaking and entering a motor vehicle but there is usually no actual breaking of anything," Meaney said. "Simply opening the door or trunk, without causing any damage, constitutes the break for purposes of the law."