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MARSHFIELD – A man and woman in their 20s asked homeowners in Marshfield for directions to the Expressway. In Hingham, neighbors saw a middle-aged man dressed like a contractor who appeared to be working on a home.
Police said these seemingly innocent scenes were likely ploys in recent home burglaries, just two examples in a rash of break-ins extending across the South Shore.
Home break-ins are on the rise locally, and police say most of these crimes are occurring in empty homes during weekday daylight hours – when many homeowners are at work and children are at school.
The total number of burglaries at homes, barns, offices and other buildings, increased by 27 percent between 2005 and 2010 in 17 communities south of Boston, according to the FBI figures. Crime statistics for 2011 are not yet available.
The most common items taken from homes are jewelry, laptops and digital cameras, items that are easy to sell, police said.
Marshfield Detective Lt. Michael McDonough, an investigator with the regional Old Colony Police Anti-Crime Task Force, said stolen merchandise is typically sold for money to buy drugs, or traded in direct exchange for drugs, especially opiates.
Source: The Patriot Ledger