A Barrington resident called police at about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 26, after she found a camera mounted on a tree on her White Birch Lane property.

Police officers stopped by the location — White Birch is near Rumstick Point — and removed the camera from the tree. Police said the device appeared to be a “hunter’s camera” designed for snapping photos when movement is detected.

Police also said there was some home construction taking place nearby and that the camera may have been installed as a security measure.

Bob Martin’s interview on WJAR Channel 10 in late October lead to an investigation into allegations that were aired, and employment discipline by the town.

Mr. Martin had been under investigation by the state police since allegations were aired on Providence television station Channel 10 (WJAR ) in late October  that he had used town resources on town time to work on his private property.

On Monday morning, however, State Police Detective Commander Major Todd Cattlow said, “We closed the investigation about two weeks ago. There will be no charges” against Mr. Martin.

Major Cattlow said the State Police had consulted with the Attorney General’s Office prior to the announcement. If there had been  criminal charges against Mr. Martin, the Attorney General’s Office would have prosecuted them.

Although no criminal charges will be filed against Mr. Martin, disciplinary action by the town in connection with his employment is still pending and is considered a separate matter.

On Nov. 4 the town announced it was suspending Mr. Martin without pay from his employment for 30 days (from Nov. 1 to Nov 30), pending the outcome of the state police investigation.

On Dec. 6, the town suspended him for another 30 days, until Dec. 30, Mr. Martin said in an interview Monday morning. And last Saturday, he said, he received another letter dated Dec. 27, signed by Town Clerk and Acting Town Administrator Nancy Mello, advising him he was suspended without pay for another 30 days, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 29, 2014, pending the state police and Tiverton police investigation.

Mr. Martin said he had only been interviewed once by the state police, and never by the Tiverton police, in connection with the allegations.

Last Friday the Town Council published notice of a  special closed executive session meeting for Monday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. to consider the Martin investigation.  The meeting was held, and in public afterwards the council announced it had taken action in the closed session, without indicating what that action was and saying that it was sealing the minutes of the meeting.

At the time of its meeting, Ms. Mello said, the Town Council did not know what the results were of the state police investigation or of the determination by state officials that no criminal charges would be filed against Mr. Martin.

In his interview Monday morning, Mr. Martin said he did not know what the outcome was of the state police investigation, and said officials had not informed him of any decision they had made. He also said he had not heard that the town council would be considering the matter at an executive session meeting Monday night.

“How they expect you to live without being paid is beyond me,” Mr. Martin said. He said he estimates he is losing a little under $4,000 per month as a result of his suspension without pay.

He said he has filed a union grievance concerning the disciplinary action against him, which he expects will end up in arbitration. An arbitration “takes a substantial amount of time,” he said.

At the time he was suspended, Mr. Martin was President of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) Local 2670A, and has been for most of the many years he’s been employed with the town.

A Westport police dispatcher is out of a job after he was charged with using his best friend’s account to buy over $2,000 worth of New England Patriots tickets.

John W. Andrade III, 38, of 107 Princeton St., New Bedford, was arrested on Monday, Dec. 23, at 8:56 a.m. at the Westport police station on numerous charges. A police dispatcher for around two years, he resigned that same day, according to Westport detective Tony Cestodio.

The arrest followed an extensive investigation that involved eight search warrants, Det. Cestodio said. The probe began when Mr. Andrade’s friend reported that Mr. Andrade had gained access to his Patriots’ account and then used his credit card to buy 16 tickets. Police later determined that he sold — or attempted to sell —those tickets via Craigslist and other sites.

Police said the friend had previously entrusted Mr. Andrade with his account password.

Charges against Mr. Andrade included identity fraud, telecommunication services fraud, falsely obtaining commercial computer service, improperly receiving over $250 with a credit card, larceny over $250, and false use of a credit card.

Belton Court was the center of attention during the Oct. 2011 public auction of the former Zion Bible Institute property.

A caretaker for the former Zion Bible Institute property in the north end of Barrington called police at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 25, to report that someone had broken into the Belton Court mansion and vandalized its interior.

Belton Court is an historic estate that was built in the early 1900s as the country home for Frederick Stanhope Peck, who was a noteworthy figure in Rhode Island politics at that time. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976; it is one of a handful of Barrington properties to be earn the distinction.

Local historian Elizabeth Warren has toured Belton Court and said it includes handsome woodworking, an attractive two-story fireplace in the main room and a dining room with beautiful oak paneling.

“It is our Downton Abbey,” Ms. Warren said, adding that the mansion’s interior was in good condition during her most recent visit a few years ago.

A group of people representing a company called Shineharmony Holdings, LLC., purchased the 39.5-acre property that includes Belton Court and a number of other buildings for $3.5 million at an auction in October 2011. Since the sale there has been very little done to the property, Belton Court in particular.

Ms. Warren said she had recently grown concerned about Belton Court.

“Any vacant building is a target (for vandals),” she said. “I drove by it the other day and I was thinking, this is an accident waiting to happen. … The owner has to show responsibility if they are serious about using it. … The big question is ‘What is its future?’”

The extent of the damage done by vandals was not clear from the police report.

UPDATE ALERT: On Friday, Jan. 3 at 9:22 a.m.,  Tiverton Police Department Captain Patrick Jones issued the following statement: “Gino Soares turned himself into the Tiverton Police Department yesterday afternoon. He was processed  and transported to 2^nd District Court Newport where surety bail was set.”

Wanted: Gino Soares, 56

Tiverton Police Captain Patrick Jones said a felony arrest warrant was issued for Gino Soares, 56, on Dec. 17 and has been publicized nationally.

Mr. Soares has a prior criminal record, and people are warned, Captain Jones said, “not to approach him.”

Anyone with information about Mr. Soares should call 911 or 401-625-6717 (the Tiverton Police Department).

Mr. Soares is 5’5″ tall, and weighs 150 pounds. He has a tattoo of the Grim Reaper and a cross on his left forearm. His last known address is 34 Park Street, Apt. # 3, in Fall River.

Captain Jones said the victims had returned to their Stafford Road home about 5 p.m. on Monday, July 22, and found their home a mess, with a large amount of cash and jewelry missing.

The thief, said Captain Jones, “had gone through several rooms and ransacked the house.”

Police said DNA from a cigarette butt left in one of the bedrooms led to the identification of Mr. Soares, whose DNA profile (because of prior offenses) had previously been been entered onto a national database used by law enforcement agencies to identify suspects of crimes.

Captain Jones said Mr. Soares had been in contact with the police and had offered to turn himself in, but failed to show up when scheduled.

“When he failed to show up, a decision was made to put his face out there,” said the Captain.

The crime Mr. Soares is alleged to have committed carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing 20-year-old city resident.

Daniel Larue was last seen by friends on Thursday, Jan. 2, at approximately 10 p.m. and was thought to be in a distraught emotional state at the time.

Mr. Larue is a white male with very short blonde hair, blue eyes and possibly unshaven. He is described as approximately 6′ tall with a very thin build.  He is believed to have last been wearing a turquoise beanie style hat, black and gray plaid jacket, a gray button down shirt, blue jeans, and brown dress shoes.

Mr. Larue is known by family and friends to be an avid musician and poet and may frequent locations that cater to those interests.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Mr. Larue is asked to contact the East Providence Police Department immediately at (401) 435-7600.

The mother of the slain victim, Reina Rodgriguez, needs to be restrained by bailiffs at the arraignment hearing for alleged murder Will Tate, Jan. 6, in Providence.

At 11 a.m., members of the State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force and Lincoln Woods Barracks arrested Will B. Tate, 34, of 87 Sutton Ave., Apartment No. 2, as a Fugitive from Justice from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

An investigation by the Massachusetts State Police and the Fall River Police Department identified Mr. Tate as the suspect in an alleged murder that occurred in Fall River during the early morning hours of January 5.

The information and the knowledge that Mr. Tate had ties to the city was forwarded to the Rhode Island State Police and the East Providence Police Department.  The ensuing inquiry by local authorities resulted in the arrest of Mr. Tate when his car was stopped at the intersection of Point Street and West Franklin Street in Providence by Troopers from the Lincoln Woods Barracks and the State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force.

According to the Bristol County (Mass.) District Attorney’s office, Mr. Tate will be charged in the Commonwealth for the murder of David Rodriguez, a 26-year-old Fall River resident. Mr. Tate is also being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

The crime is alleged to have been committed at the Ship’s Cove Apartment Complex, where Mr. Rodriguez resided, located at 130 Canal St., Fall River. Witnesses called police after reporting hearing shots fired. Rescue personnel later transported Mr. Rodriguez to St. Anne’s Hospital, also in Fall River, where shortly thereafter he was declared dead.

Mr. Tate will be arraigned as a fugitive from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Sixth Division District Court in Providence at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 6.

Photos by Kathy Borchers/Pool Photographer, Providence Journal

The following are among the Bristol police log Dec. 30, 2013 – Jan. 6, 2014:

Monday, Dec. 30

A Hope Street resident reported that someone had posted two “no parking” signs directly across the street from his home. He questioned the legality of the signs, since one was fastened to a tree.

A caller reported seeing two suspicious cars in the area of the North Burial Ground. The occupants were said to have rifles with “orange tips” on the end. Police dispersed the parties, with their air-soft guns.

A Ridge Road resident called the Animal Control officer to report that a wild animal had been trapped in their house.

Tuesday, Dec. 31

A Sousa Street resident reported that a car was running outside and that it was a nuisance to her. The police responded and determined that the car had been started with a  remote starter to warm up, due to the sub-freezing temperatures. It had only been on two minutes before the police arrived. Officers noted that the sound was inaudible from 15 feet away.

Shaun Silva, 36, of North Providence, was arrested on charges of domestic disorderly conduct.

A Hope Street resident reported her concern over someone knocking on her door, asking for help changing a flat tire at 11:39 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 1

Police received a 9-1-1 hang-up call from an Anthony Avenue home. A child was playing with the phone.

A Wilson Street father called police to ask how old his son had to be to move out of his home. He told police that his son was becoming combative. The son wants to leave the home, but the father doesn’t want him to leave.

Thursday, Jan. 2

A Berry Plastics caller reported that a snowblower and tools from a shed had been stolen.

A Hope Street caller reported that the first-floor tenant was hitting the ceiling with an object.

Friday, Jan. 3

A Hope Street caller reported that her neighbor owned the passage way out of her house and that she wouldn’t plow it.

Margaret J. Diluglio, 50, of 58 St. Elizabeth St., Bristol, was arrested on charges of simple assault/battery.

Saturday, Jan. 4

Police responded to a Wood Street home for a report that noise was coming from the basement at 3:15 a.m.

A caller reported seeing suspicious activity taking place inside a Jeep parked along Gooding Avenue.

A North Lane resident reported that a black car was parked with its lights on for 15 minutes  outside his home. Police determined there was no problem. The man was picking up his mail.

Sunday, Jan. 5

Police responded to a home on Hope Street for a child custody dispute.

Barrington police are searching for this man, who allegedly stole a $36 pork tenderloin from Shaw’s Supermarket on Dec. 31.

Police received a phone call from Shaw’s at about 1:45 p.m., shortly after a man in his mid-40s wearing a blue coat and blue hat tried to steal an assortment of meats from the store.

A Shaw’s employee reportedly confronted the man before he left the building. The man pulled several steaks out from inside of his coat, but would not relinquish an expensive pork tenderloin.

The mustached suspect fled the store on foot, then hopped on a bicycle and began pedaling down the bike path toward Warren.

Officers scoured the area and stopped two men on the bike path who matched the description of the suspect, but neither turned out to be the shoplifter.

Anyone with more information about the incident is asked to call Barrington police at 437-3933.

FALL RIVER — The Fall River Herald reports Will Tate, the East Providence resident arrested as the suspect in a January 5 murder there, has been ordered held without bail after appearing in Massachusetts District Court Tuesday, Jan. 7.

According to The Herald report, “District Court Judge Thomas Barrett agreed to hold Mr. Tate without bail and set February 19 as a date for a probable cause hearing. That hearing will be held if the district attorney has not yet presented the case to a grand jury by that time.

“The case will move to the Superior Court if a grand jury reviews the evidence and agrees there is sufficient probable cause to proceed to trial.

“(Attorney Jack) Atwood, (appointed to defend the suspect), made three motions in court, which Judge Barrett granted. The first was for money to begin his own investigation, the second is for a written transcript of recorded conversations investigators conducted with Tate and witnesses. The third is for experts to examine and preserve video surveillance taken at Ship’s Cove at the time of the alleged murder.

“Because Mr. Tate is being held without bail without prejudice, Atwood can return to court at any time to make a request for bail.”

Mr. Tate, 34 and of Sutton Avenue in city, was arrested by Rhode Island State Police in Providence Sunday evening, Jan.5, as fugitive from justice from Massachusetts. Mr. Tate is alleged to have shot and killed 26-year-old Fall River resident David Rodriguez just after midnight Sunday.

Monday, Jan. 6, Mr. Tate was arraigned in Rhode Island District Court and was subsequently transferred to Massachusetts to face charges there.

Here are some highlights from the Portsmouth police log from over the past week.

Sunday, Dec. 29

Police said a Ford Crown Victoria driven by Joseph Correira, 91, of 61 Cove St., hit a fence and the side of a house while backing out of his driveway around 2 p.m. Mr. Correira told police he accidentally stepped on the gas pedal, which caused the vehicle to accelerate backwards through a neighborhood’s fence, striking the corner of the house at 62 Cove St. Police said there was minor damage to the house, and the car sustained damage to its front and rear bumpers, rear tail light, driver’s side front headlight and rear driver’s side quarter. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

Tuesday, Dec. 31

Linn Freedman of 34 Harvest Drive told police the car she was driving sustained damaged when it hit a Christmas tree in the roadway on East Main Road at Sea Meadow Drive. Ms. Freedman told police she couldn’t avoid the tree, which was straddling the double yellow lines, because there was another vehicle next to hers. Police don’t know how the tree got onto the road.

Wednesday, Jan. 1

Robert J. Medeiros, 66, of 15 Massasoit Ave., Bristol, was charged with driving while intoxicated (first offense) after he was pulled over on Linda Avenue at Hunter Avenue around 12:45 a.m. for driving erratically

Friday, Jan. 3

Luchana N. Barr, 37, of 52 Pine St., and was charged with domestic assault 12:10 p.m. in connection with an incident that took place on Nov. 29. While investigating the matter, police arrested another person in the home, Jareen A. Lambert, 41, of 251 Conestoga St., Windsor, Conn., on a bench warrant issued from Sixth Division District Court for failure to appear in court to answer an earlier charge.

A highway department snow plow operator told police that his vehicle struck a fence at 67 Green St. while he was backing up at about 4:15 p.m. The driver, Sean Kane, reported damage to the fence and the passenger’s side door of the truck.

A deer had to be euthanized after being struck by a car on West Main Road near Lehigh Park at about 6:30 p.m. The car, driven by Tiffanie Clauer Janelle of Portsmouth, sustained heavy damage to its front end and had to be towed.

Saturday, June 4

Donna Mathias of 390 Middle Road told police around 10 a.m. that an unknown vehicle had struck and damaged her mailbox located across the street from her property.

A Middletown man told police he had been struck by a white Toyota Camry while he was walking north toward a bus stop on East Main Road around 5:30 p.m. The man, Paul Salas of Third Beach Road, Middletown, said the car continued north and never stopped. Mr. Salas, who sustained a large sprain to his left wrist, was transported to a hospital by the fire department. Police found a white passenger side mirror near the scene, but the vehicle was not found.

EAST PROVIDENCE — For the second time this winter, students and teachers at East Providence High School suffered through quite chilly conditions in certain portions of the six-decade-old structure Tuesday, Jan. 7.

As temperatures tumbled throughout the day, those inside some classrooms hovered in the high 40s and low 50s. According to students and teachers who contacted The Post, many were forced to wear heavy winter jackets, hats and gloves during school hours in an attempt to keep warm.

Later Tuesday evening at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting in City Hall, School Committee member Tony Ferreira, who serves as his body’s liaison to the Council, told his political peers about the situation.

He said City Facilities Director Ed Catelli had informed Mr. Ferreira the problems arose because “five or six” heating system blower motors were not working at the high school.

The overall heating system, including three boilers, was working at full capacity, Mr. Ferreira added. He noted Mr. Catelli was back at the high school Tuesday evening, working with heating specialists to remedy the situation.

Mr. Ferreira said Mr. Catelli had told him replacement motors were on order and could arrive as soon as Wednesday.

If, while exterior temps are forecast to strain to reach the low 20s, temperatures inside EPHS could not be raised in the range of 67 or 68 degrees by Wednesday morning, Mr. Ferreira said he would urge Superintendent of Schools Kim Mercer to cancel classes for the day.

The news seemed to come as a surprise to most of the Councilors and Acting City Manager Paul Lemont. Only Ward 4 Councilor Chrissy Rossi, who claimed to have received several calls, emails and social media posts, said she knew of the situation.

This was, though, not the first case of the heating system failing at EPHS this term. During a previous cold spell in December, similar reports emanated from the facility.

The information provided to the Council Tuesday by Mr. Ferreira evolved into a larger discussion about the state of the high school, which is in danger of losing its accreditation due to problems with its infrastructure. Ward 2 Councilor Helder Cunha recommended the subject be placed on the Council’s agenda for its January 21 meeting, a suggestion agreed upon by his cohorts.

Overheated floor boards could be to blame for a house fire on Blanding Avenue early Wednesday morning, Jan. 8.

The homeowner at 37 Blanding Ave. called the fire department at about 2:30 a.m. after detecting an odor inside the house. By the time crews arrived a few minutes later, “smoke was pouring out the front door.”

Barrington Fire Department Lt. Scott Carroll said there was heavy smoke inside the home and that crews tracked the source to a boiler located inside a closet on the first floor.

He said it appeared that heat from the boiler eventually caught the floorboards on fire. “We’ve seen this before, when the heat system sits on a wood floor… it can happen,” he said.

Fire damaged this house on Blanding Avenue.

Firefighters had the fire contained after about 20 minutes, but needed to spend more time searching to see if hot spots had spread to other parts of the structure.

The temperature had dipped to the single digits early Wednesday morning, which could have played a factor in the situation. Lt. Carroll said firefighters were forced to rely entirely upon the 750-gallon water tank in the fire engine to fight the blaze. He said the caps for the nearest two fire hydrants were frozen solid and could not be used.

Crews cleared the scene by about 4:30 a.m.

The house was reportedly uninhabitable after the fire.

A custodian at the Peck Center building in Barrington, which houses the public library, senior center, Tap-In and some other offices, called police on Monday, Dec. 30, after locating a broken window on the east side of the building.

The window, which looks out from the senior center onto a wooded section of the property behind the building, had two small holes. Police said the holes appeared to have been made by BBs or pellets fired from a gun. It also appeared the shooter would have been stationed in the woods just east of the Peck Center building.

It is believed the damaged occurred during daylight hours; it was not clear if anyone was inside the senior center when the pellets broke the window.

The damage was valued at $100.

EAST PROVIDENCE — A combined effort of local law enforcement personnel continued the search for missing city man Daniel Larue Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Members of the Rhode Island State Police and East Providence Police Department extended the investigation into the disappearance of the 20-year-old Rumford resident.

The East Providence Post and eastbayri.com confirmed the State Police Marine Unit assisted the EPPD’s search of the Seekonk River Wednesday.

According to State Police Lieutenant Colonel Michael Winquist, his department provided two Zodiac boats manned by divers and a State Police K-9 team for the search.

Ltc. Winquist said the teams remained in the frigid waterway for only a short period of time, suspending the search due to the icy conditions.

He added, the State Police aquatics teams would likely once again be made available to assist in the search, if necessary, later in the week when warmer weather and milder conditions are expected.

State Police Superintendent Colonel Steven O’Donnell also noted the the ice pack on the water “prohibited” any substantive dive by the team.

Mr. Larue was first reported missing on Thursday, Jan. 2. An official missing persons search has been ongoing since Saturday, Jan. 4.

Lieutenant Michael David, the lead detective on the case for the EPPD, declined to enter into specific reasons for the water search or anything else related to the matter.

“We continue to follow up any leads that are developed as to Mr. LaRue’s whereabouts,” Lt. David wrote in an email exchange. “Out of respect for the privacy of Mr. LaRue’s family; and to maintain the integrity of the investigation; I am unable to provide specifics on the search.”

A series of disturbing phone calls placed to a Barrington drug store resulted in a police investigation late last month.

On Monday, Dec. 30, at about 9:15 p.m., a 17-year-old girl who works in a drug store on County Road called police to report a possible harassment incident.

She said a man called the store numerous times asking if she was “working alone” that night and that he “wanted her.”

The teenage girl told police the man had stopped by the store on prior occasions. She believed he worked for a construction company or landscaper.

Police said the girl was quite upset and believed the man might show up later that night when she got off of work.

Officers documented the situation and stopped by the pharmacy at closing time. Police escorted the girl to her home and instructed her to call police if the man stops back into the store or calls.

Portsmouth Police Chief Thomas F. Lee

One case involves a drug arrest in the parking lot of Fieldstones Grille on East Main Road, the other an alcohol licensing violation at the Island Tap bar in Island Park, said the chief.

Chief Lee shared details of the incidents in a Dec. 30, 2013 letter to the Portsmouth Board of License Commissioners, which is made up of Town Council members. The board will consider the letter at the council’s regular meeting Monday, Jan. 13.

In the first incident, Gardner Devos, an employee of Fieldstones Grille, 908 East Main Road, was arrested and charged with possession/delivery of a scheduled controlled substance on Dec. 4. At the time of his arrest, Mr. Devos was 26 and living at 66 Girard Ave., Unit 423, Newport.

“Mr. Devos was arrested after a more than a month-long investigation into allegations that (he) was distributing drugs from the Fieldstones Grille parking area during his work hours,” Chief Lee wrote. “Mr. Devos was arrested in the parking lot … after he ended his shift and exited the restaurant.”

A search of Mr. Devos found more than 12 grams of MDMA (also known as Molly or ecstasy), nearly six grams of cocaine, 230 packets of heroin, a digital scale and cash, according to the police chief.

In the second incident, Chief Lee said three patrons were found inside the Island Tap, 568 Park Ave., after closing hours on Dec. 5, 2013, in violation of liquor laws.

“During that incident, a police officer conducting business checks at 1:10 a.m. observed three patrons with alcohol inside the bar and asked the bartender if she was ‘getting them out soon,’” Chief Lee wrote, adding that the bartender replied “yes” and the officer exited the business.

“A second officer informed the bartender that everyone had to be out of the bar prior to 1:20 a.m. At 1:25 a.m., an officer observed a male enter the bar. The officer entered the Island Tap again and observed that three patrons remained inside the establishment in violation of the liquor laws,” he stated.

Monday’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

The first graduating class of the Portsmouth Citizens Police Academy from April 1997. Pictured with the class is then-Police Chief Paul Rogers (far left) and then-Deputy Chief Dennis Seale (second from right), who later became chief. The Police Department is reviving the academy starting March 6.

You’ll have your chance by participating in the Citizens Police Academy, a program run by the Portsmouth Police Department beginning March 6. The town had a police academy in the past, but it hasn’t been active in several years.

The eight-week program allows citizens to learn and experience the inner world of law enforcement, and gives a firsthand look at the daily operations of the police department.

The training will consist of classroom instruction, demonstrations, tours, as well as hands-on practical applications. Instructors will be members of the department including patrol officers, supervisors and administrators.

Some of the topics to be offered include:

• uniformed patrol

• traffic codes

• drunk driving enforcement

• crime scene investigations

• harbor patrol functions

• firearms safety and training

• accident investigations

• domestic violence

• mock crime scene scenarios

To be eligible for the academy, participants must be at least 18, live or work in Portsmouth and have no felony convictions.

The program will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, from March 6 to April 24, at Portsmouth Police Headquarters, 2270 East Main Road.

To apply, you can download an application from www.portsmouthpoliceri.com, or pick one up in the lobby of the police station. The application deadline 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14.

Police Chief Thomas Lee expressed interest in getting the academy going again shortly after his appointment last fall.

“We bring them in and the detectives show them how we lift fingerprints, we’ll take them out for a ride-along in the cruisers, we’ll take them out to the (firing) range and show them how to safely handle a firearm,” the chief said in an interview in November.

“They’re going to see policing from the front seat of a police car and find out, it’s not TV. It’s obviously not a full police academy, but a familiarization academy for citizens. Anyone who’s gone through it greatly appreciates the job more — what the officers have to deal with.”

Police are looking for information about this woman (right) who allegedly stole more than $5,000 worth of jewelry from Barrington Books on May 28.

On May 28, 2013, a  woman with dark hair walked into Barrington Books and allegedly stole approximately 160 Alex & Ani jewelry pieces worth more than $5,000. Police shared information — including a surveillance photo of the suspect — with the media, but failed to track down the allegedly shoplifter.

Police are again hoping someone from the public will recognize the woman and contact the police department. Anyone with information is asked to call Barrington Police Detective Benjamin Ferreira at 401-437-3930.

Photos by Rich Dionne
Firefighters on a ladder truck pour water down on a blazing fire at 45 Colonial Ave.

The fire at 45 Colonial Ave. appeared to start at about noon and crews responded  shortly thereafter. By 1 p.m., the house was still fully engulfed. At about 1:20, the fire forced firefighters off a ladder where they had been shooting water down onto the blaze.

Firefighters back down the ladder as the fire roars through the roof of the home.

Neighbors and other curious passersby stood along Orchard Avenue to view the blaze. Some made their way to the edge of the Palmer River and stared at the scene — firefighters spraying streams of water across the natural shingled home; flames leaping through a section of the home’s roof; smoke billowing into the sky; flecks of ash falling onto nearby properties.

A Warren woman said she she was driving north on Market Street at about noon when she first noticed the fire across the Palmer River. She said she could see smoke and flames from as far away as Route 6 in Seekonk.

After finishing a shop at Walmart in Seekonk, she drove back and noticed the fire still fully involved.

A neighbor to 45 Colonial said he believed the homeowners had been away for about five days. He reportedly heard a loud pop before seeing smoke coming from the house a short while later.

Crews from across the region assisted Barrington with the fire.