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Suspicious Activity Alert

By contributor,
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Several police departments in the central Massachusetts area have been experiencing reports of men acting suspiciously around children. These incidents have many similarities including the general description of the suspect. The suspect has been described as an older man with light or grey hair operating a grey car.

In order to aid area departments in this investigation a task force has been established. An information clearinghouse has been created to aid in the sharing of reports. Area Chiefs of Police are committed to working together to contribute the resources of their department and time of their Detectives to this priority investigation. Detectives continually meet to discuss leads. So far hundreds of leads have been vetted by the detectives. Police Departments included in the Task Force include: Bellingham, Blackstone, Hopkinton, Mendon, Northbridge, Upton, Uxbridge,

At this time the Task Force is only aware of a single incident in which a child was asked or told to get into a car. Hopkinton Police did receive an initial report of an attempted abduction however responding officers were quickly able to dispel this report. The behavior of the suspects in the other incidents is concerning and in some cases alarming however no additional attempts to lure or abduct a child has been made.

Detectives have been made aware of a facebook sketch that has been posted. This sketch can not be corroborated by any police department involved in the task force.

Please take time to teach your children about strangers. Speak to them about who is a stranger and how to react if a stranger approaches them. The National Crime Prevention Council offers resources that can help you educate your children.

Police Departments are asking that parents, neighbors, merchants and all members of the community be vigilant in keeping our children safe. If anything seems suspicious or out of the ordinary call 911 immediately.​Get a good description or even a picture of the suspect or vehicle if it safe to do so. Even a partial plate and vehicle description can be vital to an investigation. Our best chance at preventing and solving crime lies in our community partnerships.

If you have any information that can assist the Hopkinton Police or area detectives with this investigation please contact Detective Gregg DeBoer at (508) 497­3401 ext. 1279 or our Crime Tip Line at (508) 497­9785.