Firefighters out on a routine patrol Friday discovered the 2,000-pound safe, which had been discarded in a lot frequently used as a trash dump near 72 Cross St., and reported it to police.
The safe was taken to police headquarters, where officers labored to break through the back wall of the metal container.
Inside, they discovered thousands of dollars in cash dating, at the latest, to 1982, according to Det. Thomas Cuddy.
Cuddy said that the department is following up on several leads related to robberies in the area during that time, but declined to elaborate.
Police canvassed the neighborhood for evidence and they believe the safe was deposited in the lot about three weeks ago.
It turned out the safe had been in a Methuen, Mass., shoe repair shop, but the owner had it hauled away recently, apparently unaware of the contents of the safe.
The tow truck driver who hauled it away tried to sell it for scrap metal but was turned down, so he dumped it in is Lawrence yard.
Now the children of the shoe repair shop’s original owner are claiming the loot, saying it was likely in the safe for decades.
Police are holding on to the safe until they can determine ownership.
There is no way I would tell everyone what I found ifI was one of those firefighters. Instead I would have divided 178,000 by the number of people on the truck and said, “Yep, it was empty alright.”
So, a safe gets dumped in an abandoned lot and the fire-fighters call the police? “Um, there is a suspiscious unopened safe in a lot over here. Do you guys want to come grab it and check it out?”
Then after they find what’s in it they tell the people who discarded it “Hey, do you know there was almost $200,000 in there? Want it back?”
Fuck no! Finders keepers baby! Abandoned lot, the safe thrown away, that belongs to the police and firefighters now!
My buddy was doing carpet in a house a guy just bought, he was ripping up the stairs and found over $30,000 in envelopes, they kept it and didnt tell the owner shit.
Other methods of cracking a safe generally involve damaging the safe so that it is no longer functional. These methods may involve explosives or other devices to inflict severe force and damage the safe so it may be opened. This method requires care as the contents of the safe may be damaged. Safe-crackers can use what are known as jam shots to blow off the safe’s doors.
This includes drilling the hole, fiberoptic scoping, removal of the relockers, and opening of the safe by manual internal means. I really can’t give the full details. Also filling and patching of the hole so that it is secure again.
You also have to realize that this a pretty high end locking. I have broken into some of the older machines without any of this crazy stuff.
