Detective Barron, Officer Mitchell honored after arresting five juveniles in string of car burglaries

Detective James Barron and Officer Matt Mitchell were recognized July 21 as the Norwalk Police Department’s June officers of the month after their investigation led to five felony arrests in a series of vehicle burglaries. Chief Walsh described the case as an "excellent piece of investigative work."

According to the chief’s account to the Board of Police Commissioners, detectives reviewed video surveillance from the Brim and Crown Apartments after multiple overnight vehicle burglaries were reported. Detective Barron located footage showing suspects and prepared an information flyer with still photos. Officer Mitchell later contacted Detective Barron after encountering five juveniles matching the description; Mitchell photographed the group and provided the photo to Barron. Barron compared the photograph and body-worn-camera footage with the surveillance and quickly obtained additional video evidence, which led to the arrest of the five juveniles and charges including third-degree burglary and criminal mischief.

Detective Barron addressed commissioners and attributed the case’s quick resolution to his colleague: "This really was solved by Officer Mitchell's foresight. He sent me that photo of the juveniles first thing in the morning before the complaint even came in," Barron said. He added that Mitchell’s early photo and the surveillance footage together allowed investigators to identify and arrest the suspects within hours.

Commissioners and the mayor commended the pair for teamwork and timely use of technology. Mayor Rilling said the coordination and rapid retrieval of video evidence demonstrated "excellent police work," and several commissioners praised the communication between units and the use of surveillance and body-worn camera footage.

The recognition was presented during the public portion of the commission meeting; no disciplinary or policy actions were associated with the recognition.