Police Advisory
Imposters posing as Water Department Personnel
The North Reading Police Department is alerting the community of suspicious behavior occurring in several communities close to our area. Wilmington, Methuen, and Dracut have reported similar incidents occurring in their town. In those communities, two to three white males have approached residents, claiming that they worked for the “Water Department”. In some cases, the males approach the resident and say that there’s a water break in the area and that the resident’s water meter needs to be reset. The group will work together to try and distract the resident. Once the resident is distracted, the group may split up and walk around the house in an attempt to gain entry.
The Town of North Reading Water Department employee’s operate town owned, clearly marked vehicles. If a person approaches your residence or stops to ask questions regarding any utilities or permits, please ask for official town issued identification or call the North Reading Police Department to verify whether the person is affiliated with the town. You may also contact the North Reading Department of Public Works during normal business hours at 978 664-6046.
The Town is still in the last stages of replacing water meters. The town has contracted USI Services to complete this work. USI schedules appointments in advance so they should not be at anyone’s residence unannounced. The representative of USI should have an ID issued by USI and be driving a vehicle that has USI marking on it. In addition, North Reading DPW and Water Department employees are all issued town identification and should present proper ID when requested.