Billerica Police | MA

• Protect your computer with the most recent updates installed for spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a secure firewall.

• Shop on trustworthy websites.

• Protect your personal information.

• Offers on websites and in unsolicited emails can often sound too good to be true, especially extremely low prices on hard-to-get items.

• Shoppers should always look in the address box for the “s” in https:// when checking out of a shopping session.

• It’s best to use a credit card, because under federal law, the shopper can dispute the charges if he or she doesn’t receive the item. Shoppers also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on their credit card, and many card issuers have zero liability policies under which the card holder pays nothing if someone steals the credit card number and uses it.

• Keep all documentation including a final confirmation page or the confirmation by email.

• Check your statements often.

• Federal law requires that orders made by mail, phone or online be shipped by the date promised or, if no delivery time was stated, within 30 days. If the goods aren’t shipped on time, the shopper can cancel and demand a refund.

BPD Officers responded to two residential breaks yesterday. The first break was reported from Bicknell Rd. The residents at the home noticed a basement window had been damaged. It appears that the suspect activated the security alarm during the attempted entry to the home.  Nothing appears to have been stolen.

The second break was reported at George Brown St.  Residents were home at around 5pm when they heard a noise that they attributed to a family pet.  At around the same time frame the outside motion lights came on outside.  No one was seen outside but they did notice that the basement doors had been opened.  It was then discovered that someone had entered the home through a basement window.  An inspection of the home revealed that items had been stolen from a bedroom.

We would like to once again remind residents to notify police immediately of suspicious activity.  Property crime has a tendency to increase around the holidays so please secure your property and set your security alarms if you have one.

Two weeks ago BPD lost its Bloodhound to cancer.  Diesel was a good tracker and served the Billerica and surrounding communities well.  He had many successful tracks to his credit and he will be missed.

With Diesel gone we lost a huge resource for Billerica and the Department.  But, sometimes timing is everything and shortly after we lost Diesel, his handler, Patrolman John Harring, was contacted by the NH State Police.  NHSP happened to have a two year old female bloodhound that they offered to BPD.  “Rosie” had been donated to NHSP but they did not have a handler suited for her.

Patrolman Harring picked her up and has been evaluating her for the last week and a half.  Initial results have been excellent and according to Harring, “She reminds me of Anabelle“.  Anabelle was an outstanding tracker and her untimely loss in 2009 from a gastrointestinal illness was a huge loss for everyone.

At this time Rosie is certified to work and Patrolman Harring will be spending a great deal of time over the next six months training and building a relationship with her.  We are very excited to have Rosie as a member of the Billerica Police Department.