Police Chief Robert Bongiorno announced that aggressive work by the Bedford Police Department along with an active social media campaign today led to the arrest of a bank robbery suspect within three hours of the incident.
Joseph Barrett, age 45, of Dorchester was arrested at his place of employment on South Road in Bedford and charged with one count of armed robbery. He is accused of walking into the Bank of America branch on The Great Road in Bedford at 12:13 p.m. Monday and demanding money, claiming he had a firearm.
The Bedford Police Department immediate took to Twitter and Facebook, broadcasting the suspect’s description, coupled with detailed surveillance photos taken from inside the bank.
People quickly recognized the suspect and called the police. Barrett was arrested without incident and is currently being held at the Bedford Police Department. He will likely be arraigned tomorrow in Concord District Court.
“I wish to commend the members of the public who recognized this dangerous individual on social media and undoubtedly led us to a quick arrest in this case,” Chief Bongiorno said. “The kinds of police-public partnerships we have developed in Bedford, using the social media tools at our disposal, are invaluable.”
According to the original police dispatch, the suspect walked into the bank shortly after noon on Monday and demanded money. He was described as a white male, 40-50 years old, wearing a gray t-shirt and jean shorts, with a stocky build and short, dark hair that is thinning on the top. Claiming to have a firearm, the suspect left the bank with an undisclosed amount of money.
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don’t mess with Bedford PD, they always get their man