The following information was provided by the Watertown Police Department.
Sept. 19: A vacuum cleaner and a suitcase were abandoned on the side of the road on Brown Street.
Sept. 20: A juvenile suspect was seen taking a Lego set priced at $245 from Target.
Sept. 20: A man was stopped trying to take $152 worth of merchandise from Target. Ralph Michaud, 47, of Watertown, was arrested on a charge of shoplifting.
Sept. 20: Two women went into CVS on Main Street and took 32 items worth a combined $377.
Sept. 20: Target reported that a man came into the store and took $120 in items.
Sept. 20: A man was seen at Target taking $117 in merchandise.
Sept. 22: A mattress was found left on the side of the road on Bridge Street.
Sept. 22: A PayPal account was opened in the name of a resident of Cypress Street. The account was used to make $1,100 in purchases from Walmart, and the order was shipped to California.
Sept. 22: Best Buy reported a woman stole $420 worth of merchandise.
Sept. 22: A wallet was taken from Marshalls sometime between noon and 1 p.m. It contained a credit card, a Social Security Card, and a driver’s license.
Sept. 23: An officer on patrol spotted a driver using both hands to use her phone while stopped at a light in Watertown Square. She appeared to be texting. When the light turned green, Officer Michael Dello Russo saw the car start to move while the driver still had both hands on her phone. The vehicle was stopped on Main Street. When asked for her license, the driver said she did not have it on her. Dello Russo discovered her license had been suspended. Ngoc Sy, 31, of Randolph, was arrested for driving with a suspended license and using an electronic device while driving.
Sept. 23: A woman entered the lobby at AYR cannabis dispensary and was told that she would not be allowed to purchase marijuana because she did not have the proper ID. She began yelling at the staff and caused a disturbance. Police were called but the woman left before they arrived.
Sept. 23: Brümate 55-quart cooler was taken from a yard on Evans Street.
Sept. 23: Debris was dumped in a dumpster at the Inn on Arsenal.
Sept. 24: Three business checks were mailed from the box outside the Post Office on Galen Street. Later the business discovered they had been stolen.
Sept. 25: A shoplifter took a pair of $24 headphones from Best Buy.
Sept. 25: Two mattresses, a chair and three end tables were left on the side of Spruce Street.
Sept. 26: A woman took merchandise worth $103 from Target.
Sept. 26: A man riding an electric bicycle was seen taking four bike locks worth a total of $68 from Target.
Sept. 27: A juvenile female was seen taking $370 worth of items from Target.
Sept. 27: Best Buy reported a man took $546 in electronics.
Sept. 27: A mattress was left on the side of the road in front of First Parish Church of Watertown on Church Street.
Sept. 28: An electric bike was locked up outside Target at about 12:20 p.m. and when the owner returned at 4:40 p.m. the bike was gone.
Sept. 28: A woman took $474 in merchandise from Target.
Sept. 29: A package was delivered to an address on Arsenal Street and when the resident returned home it was gone. It contained $150 in merchandise.
Sept. 29: Target reported that a man came into the store and took $276 in health and beauty items and toys.
PSA – Do not, Inrepeat Do Not, ever mail a check from the blue box outside of the Galen St PO! How many checks need to stolen before people or the government puts up a trail cam to catch the thieves???
I put two birthday cards in that box last year, one had 20.00 in it the other had none so, much for that they were never received!!!!
at least they can’t each the twenty and make it a 10,000 bill. These days Inonlynmail from the inside of the belmont or Galen St PO. But seriously, with all this surveillance available today they can’t trail cam a few of the mailboxes?
I don’t understand how so much is being stolen from Target & other stores near by? Do they not have security to stop thieves? Or do our laws allow people to steal so much before it’s considered a crime?
People: do not put your mail in a mailbox! Mailboxes are not safe anymore – not even the ones right outside of the Post Office. The only safe way to mail a letter now is to walk into the Post Office and hand it to the postal worker or drop it in the slot.
Exactly why we need a real post office in Watertown Square .
Where is our Town Manger when needed to solve a real problem?
Someone asked the City Manager about the downtown post office at the State of the City. You can see what he said here https://www.watertownmanews.com/2025/10/02/state-of-the-city-managers-new-goals-charter-review-a-downtown-post-office/
Best Buy gave Target a run for its money this week, but I think that the aptly named Target held off its spirited challenger. Commenters have complained that I take these weekly reports of rampant lawlessness too seriously, so I’m trying to see the bright side of anarchy. The fellow who stole four bike locks to safeguard his electric bike was my favorite, but don’t let me influence you. I haven’t gone soft on crime—not as soft as some here—but we live in a democracy, so the majority rules. If you can call tolerance for wholesale looting “ruling”. I call it “acquiescence”; even “accessory”, but, as above, don’t let me influence you.
Spoiler: The guy that stole the bike locks was the same guy that had his ebike stolen (which he probably stole from someone else). Its the circle of life.
Its only a matter of time before all the entrances to Target and every other retail store will have all the doors locked, shoppers will have to make a reservation ahead of time, only one customer at a time, be escorted by security so they can unlock the cages while they make their purchases, proceed to the check out and be frisked before they leave, and somehow, someway thieves will still find a way to shoplift underwear, toothpaste and a video game.
I know someone who lost a retail job for trying to stop a looter. I can only imagine the stress of working a shift in a perpetual crime scene. Most of Arsenal Yards and the whole of the Watertown Mall should be wrapped with yellow police tape. I’m a fool for shopping there: I pay for it.
A person lost their job because they tried to stop a crime from being committed. I’d love to hear the details of this one!
Isn’t it obvious? It’s commonplace. They don’t want their employees to endanger themselves or honest shoppers by trying to detain a potentially dangerous person in the act of committing a crime. If it’s a store policy, good intentions don’t matter. Stock the shelves, and leave the policing to the police.
With Target losing $2,000 a week (that they know about, probably much more), they could possibly pay a trained security guard, and save money on the transaction. Ours and theirs. The city should chip in to help cover the cost, just for keeping the looters at bay. Why should Target alone bear the cost of rampant theft when it’s public policy to encourage it?
Yeah no details on the claim you made. Something is obvious…
Walmart had over 120 billion dollars in US sales in the second quarter of this year. They have a non-engagement employee policy regarding shoplifters. Non compliance can result in disciplinary actions and or termination of employment. I think that the number one position Fortune Global 500 company with 648 billion dollars in sales worldwide last year must know what they are doing.
It took less than three minutes to search, copy, and paste this comment from legalclarity.org:
“Adopting no-chase policies aligns with the legal duty of care retailers owe to employees and the public, as outlined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Courts have held retailers accountable for injuries resulting from employee-customer altercations, further emphasizing the need for cautious loss prevention strategies.”
As Dean Martino noted, noncompliance can result in termination. But if you know differently, please share your sources.
There is sadly, nothing shocking here.
Reminder that comments must be signed with your full name.
Sept. 19: A vacuum cleaner and a suitcase were abandoned on the side of the road on Brown Street. – Clearly an alien abduction.
Sept. 20: A juvenile suspect was seen taking a Lego set priced at $245 from Target.
– Clearly somebody should sue Target for child abuse for charging $245.00 for Legos!
Sept. 22: A mattress was found left on the side of the road on Bridge Street.
– It’ been rumored to have been left for an AI relationship.
Sept. 25: Two mattresses, a chair and three end tables were left on the side of Spruce Street.
– Being all a bit brown, their waiting for ICE deportation to arrive.
Do I really have to sign my name?