Keeping Lowell Safe: Police Beat for December 2024

Lowell Police Department Hybrid vehicle

The Lowell Police Department wrapped up another busy year in December. In total, officers logged 2,657 reports in 2024 and made 1,960 traffic stops. As Lowell gets bigger so too do the types of cases handled by the department, according to D/Sgt. Gordy Lauren.

“We’re definitely getting the bigger city types of crimes,” he says, pointing to stolen vehicles and counterfeit currency as examples.

When not patrolling the streets or responding to calls, LPD spent time training last year. In addition to regular training activities, officers were issued new tasers and conducted some drills alongside the Lowell Fire Department. The latter is something Lauren hopes to do more of in 2025, given that the fire and police departments are often responding together to calls.

As for December, there were 216 cases logged, including the following:

  • 52 assists to other agencies
  • 28 pistol permits and sales
  • 23 suspicious situations
  • 16 traffic accidents
  • 14 general and motorist assists
  • 11 welfare checks
  • 8 ordinance violations
  • 4 frauds
  • 4 animal issues

Lowell officers also made 114 traffic stops that resulted in 2 citations.

Odor Complaints at Marijuana Business

The Lowell Police Department has received several complaints about the odor of marijuana near the intersection of Valley Vista and Main Streets. Police have visited marijuana businesses in the area and have been told that the business in question is apparently working to correct the problem. However, the odor has persisted, and 3-4 tickets have been written. A court case on the matter is pending as well.

Lottery Tickets Stolen by a Regular

A fraud case at Speedway involved a person who was apparently a regular customer. The person would steal lottery tickets when the clerk wasn’t looking. When they were finally caught and the surveillance video was reviewed, it was determined they had stolen $500-$600 in tickets.

New Chief Starts in February

Dennis Albert, who has been selected as the new Police Chief, will begin working with the Lowell Police Department in February. Retiring Chief Chris Hurst will work alongside Albert for several weeks to bring him up to speed on the department’s operations before turning over the reins.

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