Lowell Police WebNews

Archive for September, 2011

The LPD will be hosting the fall Citizen Police Academy on Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning October 12th and concluding November 30th. The Academy will be held at the LPD’s Training Institute located at 99 Middlesex Street. During the Academy participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the LPD. In the past speakers have included: Superintendent Lavallee, the Captain-in-charge of the Investigative Services Bureau, the Captain-in-charge of Administrative Services and the Lt.-in-charge of the Criminal Division. If you are interested in joining the Academy this year, please fill out the application and either email or send it to Sharon Callery, Volunteer Coordinator. She can be reached at scallery@lowellma.gov or (978) 937-3210.

CPA application

LOWELL, MA (September 27, 2011) – At approximately 2:55am police responded to 102 Winthrop Avenue for a reported residential burglary.  The 30-year-old son of the homeowners allegedly came home and noticed the side door of the home “wide-open.”  Finding this to be unusual, the son went to check on his parents in their bedroom.  The son found a male hiding behind the parent’s bedroom door.  The male then began physically assaulting the son and ran out the front door.  The son and his 50-year-old father both chased the suspect and apprehended him outside of the home and detained him until the arrival of the police.  The son and/or his father required no medical attention.  The suspect, identified as Raymond C. Coan, 25, of Lowell, was charged with Burglary/Assault on Occupant and an outstanding arrest warrant.  Coan is expected to be arraigned today in Lowell District Court.

No photo of the defendant can be released at this time. 

These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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The Lowell Parks and Rec Department is offering several free upcoming fall programs. See below for details:

The Lowell Police Department in conjunction with the City of Lowell Health Department has been collecting unwanted/unused medication from city residents for the last few years. The City of Lowell’s Health Department is one of 15 “MassCALL2” communities that received funding from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Abuse (BSAS) to reduce Opioid Overdoses. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, especially for teenagers who report they can easily obtain prescription pills from medicine cabinets in their own and other people’s homes. Common practice has been for residents try to dispose of the unwanted medication by throwing it in the trash or toilet drain. Unfortunately some communities are finding drug residue in surface waters and/or water supplies.

In an effort to develop an initiative for the proper disposal of prescription drugs, Lowell received grant funding to purchase these kiosks. This program has gained popularity and folks routinely call the Health Department to find out the next scheduled collection date. Removing unused medications was a means to prevent abuse or theft of these drugs. Also, giving folks a way to dispose of these medications rather than flushing them away, reduced the pollution of the water supply. This initiative has moved into a new phase. A kiosk has been installed in the front lobby of the Lowell Police Department and is accessible to the public 24/7. This kiosk is a secured, locked receptacle designed to be a collection point for the unwanted medications. There is a slot on the front that is capable of accepting sealed plastic bags containing pills. NO liquids or sharps may be deposited into this kiosk. Folks are instructed to remove the pills from the prescription bottles and seal them in a plastic “ZipLock” bag before arriving at the LPD. The police will not be supplying materials for the disposal of unwanted medications nor do we want folks to be packaging the meds in the lobby. The pills should be ready for immediate deposit into the kiosk upon arrival to the station lobby.

If anyone is interested in further information or resources available for Opioid Overdose Prevention, please call Chris Connolly, RN, BSN at the Lowell Health Department at 978-970-4010 ext 9-1066 or visit the website at www.lowellma.gov/depts/health and click on Opioid Overdose Prevention under the quick links.  “Lowell is working very hard to strengthen the voice of saving lives and recovery from addiction,” said Chris Connolly.

Daniel R. Burns, 26, of 827 Lakeview Avenue in Lowell has been arrested in connection with yesterday’s burglary and assault on the female resident at 148 Bunker Hill Avenue. Lowell detectives located Burns at his residence on Lakeview Avenue and following a brief foot chase after Burns fled from police, he was apprehended on Farmland Road and placed into custody. Burns has been charged with Breaking and Entering in the Daytime with Felony Intent, Assault and Battery by Dangerous Weapon (pipe), Armed Assault with Intent to Murder, and Attempted Murder by Strangulation. Burns is scheduled to be arraigned today in Lowell District Court. These charges are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Lowell Police Department (LPD) received a $300,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative in September 2011. With this funding, the LPD will work to institutionalize the evidence-based policing strategies currently being implemented by the department. According to the BJA, “the Smart Policing Initiative seeks to build upon the concepts of offender-based and place-based policing and broaden the knowledge of effective policing strategies. This grant program seeks to build upon data-driven, evidence-based policing by encouraging state and local law enforcement agencies to develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime within their jurisdictions.”

With this grant, the LPD will create and implement an extensive training curriculum on evidence-based policing strategies and offer it to LPD personnel to increase their knowledge of the research behind these strategies. Specifically, the LPD will coordinate training for mid-level managers at the rank of Sergeant. Sergeants directly oversee the implementation of evidence-based strategies by patrol officers and report on their progress to Lieutenants and Captains. To further enhance their knowledge, the LPD will also contract with leaders in the field of evidence-based policing to provide advanced training to Sergeants.

The LPD will also use the funding to provide evidence-based training for civilians and will work to incorporate evidence-based policing into mandatory in-service training. The LPD will continue our partnership with Dr. Brenda Bond from Suffolk University on this project. Dr. Bond is currently serving as the research partner on the 2010 Smart Policing Grant, which has enabled the department to utilize evidence-based policing strategies to target drug and drug-related crime in hot spot locations. The department is looking forward to utilizing Dr. Bond’s experience and expertise on this new and exciting initiative.

“As we move forward in an environment of reduced resources and increased demands, it is imperative that we turn to cutting edge practices in policing to meet those challenges. These funds will allow us to move forward with evidence based policing and the efficient use of technology to address the crime issues and quality of life issues that we face in the City of Lowell. By awarding the SMART Policing Grant, the federal government has demonstrated confidence in the Lowell Police Department and backed that confidence up with meaningful support”, said Deputy Superintendent Arthur Ryan Jr.

LOWELL, MA (September 14, 2011) – A 36-year-old woman was attacked and injured this morning when she confronted a man who had broken into her home.

At approximately 8:25 a.m. this morning, police responded to 148 Bunker Hill Avenue for a reported burglary in progress.  Police discovered the female resident inside the home bleeding from a laceration to her head and other facial injuries.  The woman was allegedly on the telephone inside of her home when she noticed the screen to her first floor bathroom cut open.  As she was looking around the home, she was allegedly attacked from behind by the burglar and assaulted with an unnamed object.  The suspect then fled from the home on foot.  The suspect is described as a white male, in his late teens – early 20’s, thin build, approximately 5’9” in height, wearing jeans and sneakers, a dark-hooded sweatshirt.  The woman was transported by ambulance to Lowell General Hospital.  Her injuries appear to be serious, but non-life threatening.

The search for the suspect is continuing and involves officers from the Lowell PD, K-9 Units, and the State Police also dispatched a helicopter to assist in the search.  The suspect remains at large.  The investigation into the incident is being conducted by members of the Lowell PD’s Criminal Investigations Division.

 Any person with information related to this incident should contact the Lowell Police Department.

 Main Number:                                     978-937-3200

Criminal Investigations Division:       978-937-3242

Anonymous Tip Line:                         978-459-TIPS (8477)  **with potential cash reward

Text-a-Tip:                                          Text tip to 847411 (Tip must begin with LPDtip)