Detective bureau thwarts meat thief

Date: 11/21/2011

Nov. 21, 2011

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

EAST LONGMEADOW — Count Susan Katz, owner and manager of Arnold’s Meats at the Barn on Shaker Road, among those pleased with the fact the East Longmeadow Police Department now has a detective unit.

Katz wrote a letter to the Board of Selectmen expressing her appreciation for the work of officer Joseph Barone, Sgt. Patrick Manley and Sgt. Jeffrey Dalessio in the apprehension of an employee who allegedly was smuggling meat out of the store in his pants.

“As a business owner in this community, I can’t truly express how grateful I am to have as high a caliber of law enforcement as Detective Barone and his team watching over this town,” she said. “They are extremely competent, efficient and kind. I understand this is a newly created department in East Longmeadow. Thank goodness it was established. I hope the town is as proud of them for solving this case as I am.”

Barone led the investigation into the disappearing meat after the Police Department received a tip from an independent witness stating that John Hyde, an employee at the store, was selling stolen meat, according to Manley

“Someone came down to the station and had information that one of the employees was selling meat,” he said. “The indication was he was taking large quantities of meat from the store, so we initiated an investigation.”

Ownership was not aware of the missing beef because, as a small business, Arnold’s does not have a fully computerized system,” Manley explained.

“At large chains, every ounce can be accounted for, but because this is a small business that doesn’t have that kind of capabilities, there was an opportunity for someone dishonest to do something like this,” he said.

Barone interviewed store employees, including Katz, and initiated surveillance on the parking lot of the local food purveyor, looking for the suspect during break times he received from management.

Barone observed Hyde leaving the store and walking with a “suspicious gait” to his car. Inside his car, he proceeded to put items into a cooler.

Being unable to ascertain what was being put in the cooler, the next day, Oct. 17, Barone re-positioned himself and “observed [Hyde] remove a large piece of meat from his pants” and place it in the cooler, Manley said. At that time, approximately 10 a.m., Barone arrested Hyde, finding him in possession of two large beef rib eyes, from which smaller steaks are cut, valued at approximately $100 apiece.

Manley added that while being booked, Hyde received a text message asking for “two filets, two strips and two rib eyes.”

He has been charged with larceny under $250 and larceny in a greater single scheme.

“In two days we saw this kind of activity. The day before he was arrested, it also appeared he was stealing meat and our investigation showed he was buying ice every day. If he was buying ice every day, it’s a good bet he was stealing every day,” Manley said. “It was going on long enough for an independent witness to report it, so clearly he stole a lot of money’s worth in meat.”

The detective unit was created early this fall after gaining support from the Board of Selectmen in order to increase the Police Department’s ability to adequately investigate reported crimes.