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Sykesville police investigating a cigarette-theft/dash; officers say cameras did not capture a clear plate
Summary
A convenience-store theft in late February is under investigation; officers identified the suspect vehicle as a 2017 Nissan with Virginia plates but said town cameras did not record a clear license number. Detectives are coordinating with Virginia DMV and regional partners.
Sykesville police reported at the March 10 council meeting that detectives are investigating a retail theft in which a suspect grabbed cartons of cigarettes and left in a vehicle; the department has developed leads but awaits vehicle-registration information from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
Lieutenant Kilgore said detectives traced the vehicle's route through downtown camera footage and identified the car as a 2017 Nissan with Virginia plates, but the town's cameras did not capture a readable license plate. Detective Sergeant Lacey and the department circulated images through investigator networks and received at least one social-media lead; the department has submitted requests to Virginia DMV for registered owner information.
The police report covering Feb. 18 through March 2 also noted 424 total department instances during that period, 16 community-policing initiatives and 28 traffic-enforcement initiatives. The department is pursuing a grant that would require de-escalation training for officers; staff reported officers had completed related training modules in support of that effort.
Council members discussed camera capability and the limits of the current system for producing readable license numbers; the mayor said staff are exploring improved access and platform options with outside security vendors to get better footage and investigator access while potentially leveraging existing hardware.
