Even with it being a leap year, February is a short month. That didn’t mean things slowed down at the Lowell Police Department, though. Officers saw a slight uptick in the number of cases – 192 compared to 180 in January – and more than doubled the number of traffic stops they made.
Among the February cases were the following:
- 24 suspicious situations
- 23 assists to other agencies
- 23 pistol permits and sales
- 16 general and motorist assists
- 13 ordinance violations
- 10 family issues
- 5 traffic accidents
- 4 Flock hits
- 3 disorderly conduct
- 3 stalking/harassment
- 3 welfare checks
- 1 motor vehicle theft
Lowell officers also made 221 traffic stops that resulted in 20 citations.
Pet Scanner Now Available at LPD
Pet microchips are commonly used to reunite lost animals with their owners. The microchips are inserted under a pet’s skin and contain an identification number that is connected to a pet registry. If a lost animal has a microchip, the registry can be contacted, and they, in turn, can contact the owner listed on file.
Many veterinary offices have scanners to check animals for microchips, and now the Lowell Police Department does too, according to Police Chief Chris Hurst. Hopefully, this will mean a faster reunification process for lost pets and their owners.
If your pet does not already have a microchip, your local veterinary clinic should be able to assist in placing one during your next regular visit. C-SNIP in Grand Rapids also offers microchips for $30.
Disorderly Kids
The Lowell Police Department received a couple calls about disorderly kids in February. In one case, they were throwing rocks at a house in the Valley Vista Neighborhood but had disappeared by the time police arrived. On another occasion, it was found that alcohol may have been fueling the bad behavior.
In that case, officers were called to the Ada Lowell 5 theater because of some disorderly kids. When the police arrived, the youth had left the theater and walked to Arby’s. There, officers discovered one 16-year-old had alcohol and had been drinking. The youth’s mother was called, and the case resulted in a minor in possession charge.
Of course, it wasn’t only teens who were causing trouble in February, Officers were called to break up an argument among adults on the Riverwalk as well.
Stalking and Threatening Behavior
Some February cases involved stalking or threatening behavior.
In one instance, a young man was fired from his job and then made threats against the business. He also called the police department to complain about “undercover vehicles” speeding through town, but it was discovered he was referring to volunteer firefighters who were responding to calls. When the fire chief attempted to address his concerns, the person responded in a threatening manner. This individual is also being investigated for an assault.
Another case involved a couple who were having a dispute about parenting time for their child. One parent accused the other of harassing them.
A different couple was also at the center of another stalking and harassment case. They had broken up and one half of the couple received a personal protection order against the other person. However, that person attempted to circumvent the PPO by contacting their ex’s mother and sending friends into their ex’s workplace. Those friends apparently made threats while there. After investigation, it was determined the person was in violation of their parole.
Finally, a business owner filed a complaint against another person for harassment and stalking. The individual did not want to press charges this time, but apparently did want to create a record of the concerning behavior.
Other News from the LPD
Thanks to some grant funds, the Lowell Police Department has obtained a new radar trailer that can be used to alert drivers of their speed. The department hopes to move it around town to locations where residents say speeding is prevalent.
Police Chief Hurst and Sergeant Gordy Lauren attended a chief’s conference in Grand Rapids where they attended sessions on leadership and addressing generational differences within the department’s workforce.
Summer is still a few months away, but the department has been meeting with event organizers and making plans to ensure activities held in the downtown will be safe for all participants. So far, those activities include the following:
- Lowell Pride: Saturday, June 1
- River Trail Triathlon: Saturday, June 15
- Lowell Showboat Sizzlin’ Summer Concert Series: Thursdays, June-August
- Riverwalk Festival: Thursday-Saturday, July 11-13
The facts in that stalking case involving the ppo are not accurate and you should check your source. I have documents if you’d like clarification.
I thought Lowell had a speeding moveable trailer sign. It used to sit on Hudson and sometimes Main.
That old one has been out of commission for a while and couldn’t be fixed. However, the new one should be up and running soon.