State Trooper Greg Naylor gives a status report

By Bob Bumcrot

Resident State Trooper Greg Naylor spends little time in his cramped office in the ambulance building. He much prefers to circulate around town, on foot, in the patrol car and, soon to be seen, on a mountain bike. The bike will be purchased, along with a laser-based speed detector and other equipment from part of a $9,400 grant given to Norfolk as a piece of the federal stimulus package. Naylor plans to use the bike for bicycle safety programs and to patrol events, such as the Halloween celebration, which takes place along Maple Avenue. In a recent conversation, Naylor discussed crime and investigation as well as suggesting some commonsense ways to avoid problems. Solving the burglary of Mizza’s (now Dina’s) Pizza last September involved modern science. It turned out that one of the perpetrators, (whose name has been withheld because of her age), left physical evidence on the basement floor, from which investigating officers were able to obtain a DNA sample. Using his knowledge of the community gained over his time here, Naylor then asked several suspects to give DNA samples for purposes of comparison. One suspect refused and a search warrant was executed. The sample was obtained, it was a match and an arrest was made. Another application of police technology resulted in the arrest earlier this year of Anthony J. “Tony” Machia, 26, for the theft of a truck, while he was heavily intoxicated. The truck was spotted near the Trooper’s office. A trained member of the Troop B K9 corps picked up the scent and tracked down the perpetrator at an apartment on Maple Avenue. Further clues were obtained from a dead cell phone dropped in another truck, which Machia had tried to steal. The officers were able to recharge the phone and listen to the messages. “The stolen truck had the keys in it,” says Naylor. “The other truck was unlocked but without keys. It is a good idea to always take your keys and lock your vehicle.” Machia, who was already on probation, having served time for similar offenses, was again placed on probation. When asked if that judge’s decision could result in further offenses that might cause serious injury to others from a vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver, Naylor’s response was a brief “no comment.” While a number of other burglary investigations are in progress, Naylor says he has not seen any increase in crime over the last year due to the economic decline. “Most of these [perpetrators] are stealing to support a drug habit,” he says, as a way of explanation. But that does not mean we all should relax. “People need to be alert to unusual situations,” says Naylor, “such as seeing an unfamiliar empty car parked on the road near a driveway, especially on a weekday.” He also recommends that rather than using the emergency number 911, any suspicions should be reported directly to the Trooper’s office, 542-5249, or to Troop B headquarters in Canaan, 824-2500.