# Police seek clues in theft of officer's gun, badge



## ntvs (Jan 23, 2003)

MASHPEE - Detectives are on the hunt for a thief who stole a Falmouth police officer's gun and badge from his home in Mashpee over the weekend.

The officer's home on Brookside Circle was broken into sometime between 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to Mashpee Police Deputy Chief Al Todino.

Neither the Mashpee or Falmouth police would release the name of the officer.

Although the officer lives with his wife and adult daughter, no one was home at the time of the theft, Todino said.

"Fortunately, the gun had a trigger lock and was in full compliance with the law," he added.

Aside from the gun and badge, also stolen was a Falmouth Police Department radio and a Bear Cat police scanner.

Todino said the burglar entered the house though a window in the back of the house. The window screen was removed and the glass was smashed, which allowed the perpetrator to unlock the window and climb into the house.

Nothing else was taken from the home, Todino said, explaining that because the house had been recently sold, many of the family's personal belongings were not in the house at the time of the break-in.

The gun that was stolen - a Baretta semi-automatic pistol - was not a police-issued weapon, according to Falmouth Police Sgt. John Bettencourt who also noted that the officer is not a full-time member of the department but a "reserve officer" with about eight to 10 years of experience.

Investigators had no suspect or suspects in the case as of yesterday afternoon and are asking anyone with information about the theft to call Mashpee Police Detective Bob Waterfield at 508-539-1484.


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## mgb (Nov 9, 2003)

:shock: Great! Literally - right around the corner from my house! I heard about this on the radio while on my way into Boston with my wife today. I told her that I hope when we get home that our house wasn't broken into also. The day before I was flagged down by a couple who thought I was a Falmouth cop responding to the B&amp;E of their house that they just reported. Their house is on Redbrook Rd. in Falmouth. These two breaks are on the Mashpee/Falmouth town line. Hopefully my cruiser in the driveway and barking dog will keep the jerk away from my house and immediate neighbors.


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