Putting Crime in Focus is one of our missions at Today's THV, which is why we partnered with SpotCrime.com, a free website that allows anyone to track crime incident data down to neighborhood crime activity, crime alerts and reports.
On May 4, 2012, at approximately 1014 am, the Frederick Police Department responded to the Woodsboro Bank at 900 N East Street Frederick, Maryland for a suspicious situation. Responding officers were notified by bank management of a suspected video recording device placed in the women’s bathroom. Detective Aaron Lapp with the Frederick Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division responded and assumed responsibility of the investigation.
During the course of the investigation Detective Lapp and Officer James Dodson worked closely with the management of Woodsboro Bank and were able to quickly identify a suspect. Based on information and evidence collected, it was determined that another employee of the bank, Matthew William Birkmire, placed the small video camera in the bathroom to record female coworkers.
Birkmire has been charged on an arrest warrant with the following charges:
• 38 Counts of Private Place – Prurient Intent
• 1 Count of StalkingThe Frederick Police Department would like to thank the management of Woodsboro Bank for their assistance and cooperation during this very difficult and sensitive investigation.
Birkmire was arrested taken into custody on 05/15/2012 at 1057am and was transported to the Frederick County Adult Detention Center. Following a hearing before a District Court Commissioner, Birkmire was released on a $5000 bond..
Arrestee: Matthew William Birkmire
DOB: 11/08/1983
Address: First Block Tacoma Street Thurmont MD 21701
Press Release Author: Lieutenant Clark PenningtonInvestigating/ Arresting Officer: Detective A. Lapp / Ofc. J. Dodson
Date of Release: 05/15/2012
On 05/12/12 at approximately 2106 hours Officer Wharton was conducting a patrol check of Carrollton Park due to numerous neighbor complaints about CDS activity in the pavilion area. Officer Wharton encountered a male in the pavilion that had an odor of marijuana permeating from his body. The subject was searched incident to arrest and a plastic baggie containing a small quantity of suspected marijuana was located on his person. Also recovered was a digital scale. The subject was identified as John Thomas by his passport. Thomas was transported to Central Booking for processing.
Arrestee:
John Noel Raven Thomas
03/25/1993
500 Block Overridge Dr
Frederick, MDCharges:
On 05/08/2012 at approximately 0400 hours, officers from the Frederick Police Department responded to the area of the 100 block of Willowdale Drive for a reported residential burglary in progress. Upon arrival, officers learned the female resident was woken up by an unknown male who was shoving his hand down her throat. After a brief struggle, the female was eventually able to bite the subject, who left immediately without causing further harm. It was also determined that there were no items taken during the incident. The female was unable to provide a detailed description of the suspect.
The female did not require any medical attention as a result of the assault. This case is being actively investigated by the Criminal Investigations Division. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect is asked to contact the Frederick Police Department at 301-600-2100. Information can also be relayed directly to Detective Alston at 301-600-1269.
Press release prepared by A/Cpl. M Carrado
Investigating Officer: Detective Alston
Case Report Number: 2012-28207
A recent suspect featured on the BPDNews ‘Most Wanted’ page was nabbed within days of joining the list of fugitives featured weekly on BPD’s Most Wanted Monday. Last week the Crime Stoppers Unit received information from the community relative to the whereabouts of wanted suspect 22-year-old Juan Shanks. Shanks had two outstanding warrants out of Dorchester District Court for Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Threats to Commit Crime, Disorderly Conduct and Disturbing the Peace.
On April 19, 2012 at 7:05pm, officers began surveillance of the basketball courts in the area of 450 Old Colony Ave in South Boston. Officers soon observed Shanks in the area of the courts. Due to the nature of the warrants and Shanks’ violent history regarding arrest attempts, officers called for multiple units to assist. Officers soon observed Shanks approach a nearby vehicle and engage the individuals inside the car in conversation. Shanks then entered the vehicle with the other occupants.
At that time, the Fugitive Unit approached the vehicle in an attempt to place Shanks under arrest. For safety reasons, officers requested that all occupants show their hands. Shanks and another occupant refused. As the officers opened the vehicle door to take Shanks into custody a brief struggle ensued. As the same time another occupant stated to officers “he put it in my pocket, he put it in my pocket” as he motioned toward Shanks. Officers then conducted a pat frisk on the second occupant feeling a hard object immediately recognized by officers to be a firearm. Officers recovered a loaded semi-automatic weapon from the 23 year-old male suspect and placed him in custody for unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Shanks was also taken into custody on his outstanding warrant and subsequently removed from the BPD’s Most Wanted Monday list.
At about 10:03pm, on Monday April 16, 2012, officers from District B-3 (Mattapan) responded to a radio call for shot spotter activation at 507 Norfolk St. in Mattapan.
On arrival, officers observed a motor vehicle parked on Clarkwood Street in the vicinity of 507 Norfolk Street. Inside the motor vehicle the officers observed three male victims ages 24, 26 and 28. The victims were suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The victims were all transported to local hospitals and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The Boston Police Department is actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call District B-3 detectives at (617) 343-4712.
Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1(800) 494-TIPS or texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those who wish to remain anonymous.
04/16/2012. Elderly woman stabbed inside her home. The home directly abuts the Oliver Hazard Perry School, Neighbors reported seeing two people running from the house. State Rep. Nicolas Collins, came to the scene
Preliminary investigation revealed that at the above time, date, and location officers responded to a stabbing on Citizen's Way where a black male was stabbed in the chest during an altercation. Upon arrival, officers located both the suspect and victim. Officers administered immediate first aid until the arrival of EMS. The victim was stabilized and flown to R. Cowley Shock Trauma by MSP helicopter where he is in serious but stable condition. The suspect was taken into custody immediately and transported to Frederick Police Headquarters. He was interviewed and later released with charges pending.
Subject: SpotCrime attempts to map crime in Frederick, MD
Dear Frederick Subscriber,
When SpotCrime started, we began mapping crime data in Baltimore in 2007. Since that time, we've grown to the most visited crime mapping website in the US. Most local police agencies in Maryland (Baltimore County, Howard, Annapolis, Montgomery, Prince Georges, and Anne Arundel) provide us with data for mapping.
In Frederick, however, our access to data has been flatly refused. We do map the frequent crime notices made public on the Frederick Police website, but the entire crime feed is currently given to one vendor that expressly restricts access to SpotCrime.com.
We have recently been notified that the Frederick Police crime mapping vendor (who received state grant money for the mapping service) now intends to charge your local paper for the right to have the map on their website. Our view is that every citizen and member of the press should have unrestricted access to this information - there should be no limits on how the data is shared. Citizens should not be threatened with a lawsuit if they share crime information.
With budgets being tight, and the demand of being informed high, I ask you to ask your elected officials why crime data comes with rules on how the data can be accessed and viewed? Wouldn't a better alternative be making this data fully open to the public and let local media provide the information? If the goal is to get this information to the law abiding public, why put constraints on how the data is shared? (It is likely the criminals are not burdened with the same rules on how they share information.)
As new grant money gets awarded to your police department, please encourage them to use open and unrestricted methods of delivering crime information to the public. Ultimately, local media will map the data for free and funds can then be used for more officers on the street. With multiple sources for crime information, more people will be informed and hopefully we can all put a dent in crime.
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Sincerely,
Colin Drane
Founder
619-663-7768
It's a 3-D camera invented for architectural engineering that is now being used at crime scenes.
"It spins around and takes photographs of everything in 360 degrees," says Joe LeFevre, forensic science instructor at Fox Valley Technical College in Grand Chute.
