It takes less than 60 seconds to steal a motorcycle

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Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our suburbs.

WHERE’S MY BIKE?

At 4:10 p.m. on Dec. 13, Watertown police were informed that a motorcycle parked on Galen Street had been stolen. Police said the owner didn’t secure it with a chain, but did lock the handlebars and engage the clutch so it could not be rolled away. Alas, that wasn’t enough to deter some ambitious thieves who were determined to steal the bike, because when the resident came out the next morning it was gone. Police reviewed security video footage that showed a newer-looking minivan — possibly a Toyota — that drove down Galen Street, then pulled up near the motorcycle and backed up. Three men, two of whom were wearing ski masks, got out of the van, picked up the bike, loaded it into the van, and then drove away. The theft took less than a minute to complete, according to the police. The incident is under investigation.

NOT THE REAL THING

At 11:43 a.m. on Nov. 27, Saugus police were notified that a Massachusetts Environmental Police officer had found what was believed to be a state Department of Correction uniform on the power lines trail off Route 1. Officers were dispatched to the scene and determined that the uniform was actually just a costume.

DRIVE-BY EGGING

At 10:42 p.m. on Dec. 21, Hingham police received a call from a woman who said as she was driving in the vicinity of High and Main streets, a red car drove by and threw an egg at her car. She was unable to provide a description of the suspect or the license plate. She also told police she had continued driving after it happened and was no longer in the area. Police took a look around but didn’t see any red cars or eggs being thrown in the area.

NOT A SILENT NIGHT

At 6:47 p.m. on Dec. 20, Bridgewater police received a noise complaint from someone on Crescent Street. The caller told police that someone was playing drums in their front yard. Police checked the area and reported all was quiet.

UNWELCOME VISITOR

At 6:01 p.m. on Dec. 23, Hingham police got a call from a man on George Washington Boulevard who reported that a suspicious male just approached his front door and said, “It is a beautiful house, I was just checking out your house.” According to the log entry, the caller said this unexpected visitor “appeared rough” and had no reason to be on his property. The man also told police that the man had tried to access the property “a few different ways before ringing the buzzer,” and the caller “allowed him through the gate thinking it was an Amazon driver.” The caller told police he last saw the intruder walking up the street toward Hull. Police checked the area but were unable to locate the mysterious visitor. They also notified police in Hull about the encounter.

NEW YEAR’S EVE VANDALISM

At 12:21 a.m. on Dec. 31, Medfield police received a call from someone on High Street who reported that two mailboxes were damaged and a street sign was left on their property. The caller also said voices could be heard down the street of the people who they believed were responsible for the vandalism. The caller did not give a description of the alleged vandals. The officer who responded to the call confirmed that the mailboxes were indeed damaged and the sign for nearby Forest Street was left on the property. Police checked the surrounding area but didn’t see any mischief-makers out and about. Police let the highway department know that the street sign was on the front lawn so they could pick it up and return it to its proper location.