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Officer's actions reviewed after theft of guns
Six suspects are charged in theft
Following the theft of several firearms from a vacant house, the Wilmington Police Department and the Middlesex district attorney's office are trying to determine whether a Wilmington police officer acted improperly by storing a cache of weapons in the building.
Six suspects - including two juveniles - pleaded not guilty Monday to various charges alleging that they broke into the house leased by Officer Steven Larivee at 764 Woburn St. and carried away weapons, including small and large-capacity firearms and a sawed-off shotgun.
Wilmington Deputy Police Chief Robert Richter confirmed that at least some of the weapons belonged to Larivee. Richter said that while the firearms should have been locked in a safe or cabinet, the weapons were attached with trigger locks, which satisfies firearms laws.
"As far as we know, everything was in compliance," said Richter. "It's not like the guns were left unsecured out in a field somewhere. Whether what Officer Larivee did was right, wrong, indifferent, responsible, or irresponsible, unfortunately these youths broke into his house and stole property that didn't belong to them."
Richter said Larivee has served approximately 25 years on the force, but declined to comment on the officer's record. He said Larivee has agreed to take paid vacation time during the period of the investigation. Larivee is not required to remain in Wilmington during the probe.
As of Wednesday, a full inventory of the firearms was still not complete, said Richter.
"We don't know how many were in there," he said. "I believe we have all the weapons that we believe were possessed by the individuals [arrested]. There's going to be more charges of other people. Some charges may be arrestable, or they may be summonsed."
Initial reports of the missing weapons - stemming from a separate investigation that Richter would not divulge or characterize - prompted a lockdown on Oct. 24 at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica, where some of the suspects were enrolled.
Students were held in classrooms throughout the morning, and then released following screening with metal detectors in the afternoon.
Wilmington Town Manager Michael A. Caira said last week the situation involving the school and the firearms probe was "well in hand." He would not comment on the ongoing investigation into the theft.
"We believe there to be no public safety issue with regard to Shawsheen Technical School," Caira said.
Four of the suspects - Stephen Haverty, 17; Joshua Griffin, 19; and Cameron Sanville, 18; all of Wilmington; and Mark Kloetzer, 21, of Tewksbury - pleaded not guilty to charges of breaking and entering, larceny of firearms, and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
The other two suspects, both juveniles, were arraigned in Lowell District Court. Details on those charges were not available because of the suspects' ages.
Woburn District Court Judge Phyllis J. Broker ordered Haverty, Sanville, and Kloetzer to 24-hour home confinement and to be fitted with electronic monitoring devices. Sanville, who was also ordered to pay $1,000 cash bail, may report to work; Haverty and Kloetzer may only leave their homes to meet with legal counsel.
Griffin was released from police custody on personal recognizance.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...wed_after_theft_of_guns_1226205525/?page=full
Officer's actions reviewed after theft of guns
Six suspects are charged in theft
Following the theft of several firearms from a vacant house, the Wilmington Police Department and the Middlesex district attorney's office are trying to determine whether a Wilmington police officer acted improperly by storing a cache of weapons in the building.
Six suspects - including two juveniles - pleaded not guilty Monday to various charges alleging that they broke into the house leased by Officer Steven Larivee at 764 Woburn St. and carried away weapons, including small and large-capacity firearms and a sawed-off shotgun.
Wilmington Deputy Police Chief Robert Richter confirmed that at least some of the weapons belonged to Larivee. Richter said that while the firearms should have been locked in a safe or cabinet, the weapons were attached with trigger locks, which satisfies firearms laws.
"As far as we know, everything was in compliance," said Richter. "It's not like the guns were left unsecured out in a field somewhere. Whether what Officer Larivee did was right, wrong, indifferent, responsible, or irresponsible, unfortunately these youths broke into his house and stole property that didn't belong to them."
Richter said Larivee has served approximately 25 years on the force, but declined to comment on the officer's record. He said Larivee has agreed to take paid vacation time during the period of the investigation. Larivee is not required to remain in Wilmington during the probe.
As of Wednesday, a full inventory of the firearms was still not complete, said Richter.
"We don't know how many were in there," he said. "I believe we have all the weapons that we believe were possessed by the individuals [arrested]. There's going to be more charges of other people. Some charges may be arrestable, or they may be summonsed."
Initial reports of the missing weapons - stemming from a separate investigation that Richter would not divulge or characterize - prompted a lockdown on Oct. 24 at Shawsheen Valley Technical High School in Billerica, where some of the suspects were enrolled.
Students were held in classrooms throughout the morning, and then released following screening with metal detectors in the afternoon.
Wilmington Town Manager Michael A. Caira said last week the situation involving the school and the firearms probe was "well in hand." He would not comment on the ongoing investigation into the theft.
"We believe there to be no public safety issue with regard to Shawsheen Technical School," Caira said.
Four of the suspects - Stephen Haverty, 17; Joshua Griffin, 19; and Cameron Sanville, 18; all of Wilmington; and Mark Kloetzer, 21, of Tewksbury - pleaded not guilty to charges of breaking and entering, larceny of firearms, and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
The other two suspects, both juveniles, were arraigned in Lowell District Court. Details on those charges were not available because of the suspects' ages.
Woburn District Court Judge Phyllis J. Broker ordered Haverty, Sanville, and Kloetzer to 24-hour home confinement and to be fitted with electronic monitoring devices. Sanville, who was also ordered to pay $1,000 cash bail, may report to work; Haverty and Kloetzer may only leave their homes to meet with legal counsel.
Griffin was released from police custody on personal recognizance.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ar...wed_after_theft_of_guns_1226205525/?page=full