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LEICESTER, Mass. — Being a police officer is like no other job in the world. It can best be described as having a ringside seat to the greatest show on earth every day. As you read the accounts set forth in the LPD update, it is important to remember:
We could not make this stuff up if we tried.
No one lies to the police.
The names of the individuals involved in the cases discussed in this column have not been published to protect their identity.
Summer Time Relief
The recent heat wave has offered the LPD a brief but welcome decline in activity. It happens every summer, as the mercury climbs, it appears the criminal element, like many others, simply went to the beach or some other location to beat the heat.
The lull in activity afforded officers an opportunity to catch up a little on always abundant paperwork, but when the heat wave ends, so does the short lived break in activity.
House and Car Break Update
There was one residential break in during the past week and a report of one vehicle being broken into during the same time period. The LPD is following up on several leads in connection with these incidents. I will provide an update of any progress that the LPD makes in these investigations.
Other Noteworthy Incidents and Arrests
A Rolling Package Store – An LPD officer on patrol stopped a vehicle for speeding and a marked lanes violation.
When he was speaking with the occupants, all of whom were minors, the officer detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle….Strike #1. The officer spoke with the operator and confiscated a 40 ounce bottle of beer……Strike #2. The LPD officer continued his investigation and located a 24 pack of beer concealed in a back pack……Strike #3.
The investigation continued and the officer was informed by one of the occupants that the Monster Energy drinks in the vehicle had been spiked with Jagermeister, including the one concealed in one of the female occupant’s purse……Strike #4.
Now just when you think that the police had stripped this rolling package store dry, the LPD officer located marijuana in the glove box……Strike #5 but, then again, who was actually still counting after Strike #3?
All of the occupants have been summonsed into court for the alcohol violations and a civil citation was issued to the individual who possessed the marijuana.
Bigger Does Not Mean You Can Break The Law – An LPD officer on patrol observed a large front end loader traveling down the road. As the officer passed by, he noticed that the front end loader did not have a license plate attached.
The officer stopped the front end loader and the operator indicated that the plate must have fallen off the vehicle….. sounds possible.
As the officer investigated further, the story of the missing plate seemed suspicious ….Strike #1.
Now you are probably asking yourself, “How would the officer know if the plate fell off or not?”…….simple…..The driver would have to have a plate listed in the Registry of Motor Vehicle’s file issued to either the driver or the company. So when the officer checked and could not find a plate listed to the operator or the company……Strike #2…… he checked further.
However this time he checked on the operator’s driver’s license and found that it was suspended…..Strike #3 this guy is out, and the front end loader was parked until it was loaded onto a trailer and transported from the scene in a legal manner.
The driver received a citation and will have to appear in court in the near future.
This Guy’s A Frequent Flyer – A husband and wife came into the lobby of the police station to report that they were being harassed by the man’s ex-wife’s boyfriend. The couple showed text messages that were sent from the ex-wife’s boyfriend that were both very graphic in nature and insulting.
The officer spoke with the suspect and advised him of the complaint and that he should cease sending the text messages and that if he continued to send the messages it would result in criminal charges.
Sounds pretty clear to me…if he stops, he doesn’t go to jail. The officer continued his investigation and discovered that the suspect had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. This time, rather than talking to the suspect, the officer set out to find him. The suspect was located and taken into custody on the warrant.
So you are figuring the investigation is over…..but it is not.
Over the next several days a court order was issued, prohibiting the suspect from contacting and harassing another person, who does not live in Leicester.
Shortly after the suspect was served the paperwork, he violated the order and the LPD was asked by the local police department, where the incident occurred, to arrest the suspect. The LPD could not locate the suspect but later learned he was arrested by the State Police during a traffic stop. Wow, was this guy busy!
LPD Looking For Information On Boat Theft
This Was A Lot Of Work To Steal A Boat – Nestled away in a wooded area of Leicester there is a hidden pond about 200 yards from a resident’s home. The resident went down to the pond the other day and noticed that the boat he kept chained and locked to a tree near the pond was missing.
Upon closer examination, it was determined that the lock had been cut off. The boat was an 8 foot Swan brand fiberglass boat and had to be carried a considerable distance down a foot path to remove it from the area. It would have taken at least two people, possibly more, to accomplish removing the boat. Anyone with information is asked to contact the LPD Crime Tip Hotline at (508) 892-7010 and hit option #7.
Disclaimer
The opinions set forth in this article are those of Chief James Hurley and do not represent the opinions of the Town of Leicester or other members of the Leicester Police Department.
Thank You
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the residents of the community for their continued support of the police department and also to thank all the men and women of the LPD for the professional and effective work they do in the community.
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