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 communities.
RUFF START
Captain, the Blackstone Police Department’s comfort dog, has come a long way since joining the force as a puppy in June. His first summer on the job took an unexpected turn in August when he suffered a lower leg fracture while exiting a police vehicle, but it didn’t take long for him to bounce back. He’s since passed the third phase of his training, has been making the rounds at schools and community events, and now has his own line of merch, appearing on trading cards, stickers, patches, and a K-9 calendar. “We’re so happy to welcome Captain back to our ranks,” said Chief Gregory Gilmore. “He’s a remarkable animal, and part of our family here at the Blackstone Police Department.”
COFFEE CRANK
On Jan. 2, an employee at the Dunkin’ location on Broad Street in Bridgewater reported that an irate customer in a red sedan had come through the drive-through three times and was banging on the windows. The customer was gone when police arrived at the scene.
TROUBLED WATERS
At approximately 4 p.m. Jan. 5, Nahant police received a call about a motorboat in the water that appeared to be in distress. It was very cold, the sun was going down, and the vessel — which appeared to have lost power — was drifting toward rocks. The caller said the occupants on board were attempting to paddle the boat to shore. Officers located the vessel and Sergeant Andrew S. Constantine was able to hover a drone over it until State Police and Coast Guard personnel responded to assist. The State Police ended up successfully towing the boat to a nearby ramp.
KNOCK KNOCK ... WHO’S THERE?
At 8:03 p.m. Dec. 29, Saugus police received a call from a pedestrian who reported hearing someone knocking on a window of a home on Hilltop Avenue, possibly trying to get her attention. It happened twice while she walked by the building. She was unable to give any description of the individual hitting the window, but she was concerned they might need help. Officers were dispatched to the scene and soon discovered there was no cause for alarm, as the knocking turned out to be the homeowner, who was hanging a wall mount in a room.
DOWNHILL FROM HERE
A man in Boston went on Facebook Marketplace recently and saw a pair of skis for sale that looked very familiar — for good reason, because the skis belonged to him. Someone had stolen them, and now they were listed for sale. The man contacted police and told them about the online listing. A plan was devised to get the man’s skis back by arranging to meet with the seller (who had an active warrant out for his arrest on an unrelated charge) in the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Washington Street. Officers were directed to the lobby of 155 Northampton St., where they saw the stolen skis propped against a fence, and after confirming that the asking price matched the Facebook Marketplace listing, officers identified themselves as police and placed the suspect under arrest. The stolen skis were recovered and returned to their rightful owner. The suspect, a 43-year-old Dorchester man, was charged with receiving stolen property over $1,200.
If you’re buying or selling something through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or any other online platform and you need to meet up in person to complete the sale, make sure you do it safely. The Boston Police Department has designated “Safe Exchange Zones” at police stations across the city that are available 24 hours a day where people can do in-person transactions, and many other police departments offer them, too.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.