Watertown Police are investing a string of home break-ins around Watertown this weekend.
The five homes broken into on Friday night/Saturday morning were on Barnard Avenue, Fraklin Street, Stearns Road and Stoneleigh Circle, in the neighborhood south of Oakley Country Club.
In a Facebook post, the WPD said that no one was hurt in the incidents. They also reminded residents to lock your doors, secure windows, and lock vehicles, too.
“We need the public to be extra vigilant and immediately report anything and everything you believe is suspicious. Do not hesitate to call. Even the smallest piece of information can play a major role in solving these incidents. Be our eyes and ears,” the Watertown Police announcement said.
To report any information, people can call the Watetrown Police main phone number at 617-972-6500.
This is not the first string of break-ins around town. Three homes were broken into around Thanksgiving, and others earlier in November, as well as some in late September.
To bad Ma has such tuff gun laws. If I was a burglar Ma. would be a great state to rob. Think about it with these kind of laws on guns you would stand a great chance of not getting shot unlike Texas where you can and will get your ass shot off . It happens every week. so in Ma. you can go to bed and just hope your house is not the one they will hit and you will wake up the next morning !!!!
Guns are not the answer. Vigilance may be. I’m from Texas. We live better here!
I am from Texas also and I will guarantee guns help a lot. Oh yes and I am also a republican that believes in the 2nd Amendment unlike democrats ….just saying u know !!!!!!!!!!!
NH….A shotgun behind every door ! I spent a lot of time training housewives and f/m owners….several weeks of “Shoot Don’t Shoot” training as used in LE..and then time at the firing range !
MA gun laws are not “tuff,” they are just comprehensive in licensing. No one seeking a license to carry in MA will be denied a firearms license if they pass driminal and mental health history background checks, and if they can pass a basic gun course (as little as a couple of hours of training), and qualify for the license by successfully shooting at a target.
Ranking by number of gun deaths in the US:
#50. Massachusetts (SAFEST STATE in the US for Firearms Deaths)
Firearm deaths per 100,000 people: 3.4 per 100,000
Total firearm deaths 2016: 242 (suicides: 140, homicides: 89)
Violent crime rate: 376.9 per 100,000 (23rd highest)
Permit required to carry handgun: Yes
Poverty rate: 10.4% (9th lowest)
#28. Texas
Firearm deaths per 100,000 people: 12.1 per 100,000
Total firearm deaths 2016: 3353 (suicides: 2016, homicides: 1222)
Violent crime rate: 434.4 per 100,000 (17th highest)
Permit required to carry handgun: Yes
Poverty rate: 15.6% (12th highest)
20.79% of Texans own guns.
5.41% of Massachusans own guns.
Massachusetts is ranked #9 on the list of SAFEST states for home invasions per home.
Texas is ranked way down at #37 on the same list.
In 2017, Texas ranked #2 in the nation (only after California) for the highest number of burglaries, at 134,066
Massachusetts had only 17,089 burglaries in the same year.
In 2019 Massachusetts is ranked #4 in the US with a median income for a family of 4: $113,815
Texas is ranked at #29 with a median income for a family of 4: $74,896
So, not only is Texas far more violent with far more homicides and violent crimes, home invasions and burglaries than Massachusetts, Texans are also much poorer than Massachusans. Texans haven’t really got anything of value to burgle. Here in Massachusetts, most of us leave our doors unlocked when we’re out, and every night. Everyone does in my family, and so do most of my friends. So did all our parents and grandparents. All without any incident. I’ll stick with Massachusetts, thanks anyway.
*Statistics source: USA TODAY 24/7 WALL STREET Feb. 21, 2018 Article entitled: “States with the most (and least) gun violence. See where your state stacks up.” Statista, Forbes, based on CDC, FBI, NRA and US Census Statistics.
Thank you, Rushie! Amazing response!
“Texan’s haven’t got anything of value to burgle”? So you are telling us that there aren’t any wealthy Texan’s or even middle-class ones? A bit of ridiculous generalizing, eh? Also “most of us here leave our doors unlocked when we’re out”? Just who in hell are you talking about because such a statement borders on the absurd. Now, tell those people who have had their homes broken into and possessions stolen about your statistics and be ready if they laugh at you.
Calling for more guns to stop break-ins of unoccupied homes is lame. If you have guns, and are not at home, you are obviously not able to deter a crime. Also, your guns may be stolen during a break in.
The article states no one was hurt in these break ins , what it doesn’t state is were any homes occupied when these break ins occurred?
Lots of spelling errors in this article and very little info. It would be helpful to know the time of the break-ins, point of entry, etc. How does this get published? Poor journalism.
I’ll get more info when I meet with the police this week.
The problem with MA firearms laws is that they give too much power and discretion to the local licensing authorities and are inconsistently applied town by town. Local police chiefs make their own rules and laws. Watertown is one of, if not the most notorious offenders to the infringement on the individual freedoms and the 2nd Amendment rights of law abiding citizens to protect themselves in the entire state of MA. The MA state law is based on the standard of “Suitability” for issuing LTC’s. Watertown uses its own standard of “Compelling Reason”. This is Illegal and unconstitutional!! Bottom line, even if you have a clean record and pass the FBI and MA State Police criminal background screening, Watertown will NOT issue you an unrestricted LTC. What they will issue does not permit you to carry a concealed firearm on any public way in the entire state of MA. You are defenseless outside of your home. It is useless. This town has gotten away with this for very many years. Most average people just don’t have the financial resources to go to court and file lawsuits for their constitutional rights and freedoms given the biased liberal judges in place who abuse power and legislate from the bench. It’s ironic that Massachusetts was the birthplace of freedom and liberty in our nation, and it will most surely be its burial place unless CA beats it to it.
Spot on! Allowing police chiefs or their designated licensing officer, arbitrary discretion on whom will, or will not, be issued an unrestricted LTC is shameful,
and unacceptable. The majority of communities in this state are accommodating
and sensible when it comes to the subject of issuing an unrestricted LTC. Unfortunately, Watertown is quite clearly one of the most egregious offenders
when it comes to respecting it’s citizens second amendment rights…
https://web.archive.org/web/20170303102146/http://comm2a.org/images/PDFs/ltc_score_card_2015.pdf
From my understanding, this history of denials has been followed and passed down
from police chief to police chief. What has me wondering if this policy is the personal decision of past and present chief(s), or does it come from higher up?
As in when they are interviewed by town officials and the town council for the
position, is it suggested to them that this is the official policy that they should follow.