The Lowell Police Department started the year off with a flurry of activity. There were a couple notable cases that made headlines, and a change at the helm as Dennis Albert took over as Chief of Police.
Here’s a look at the case numbers for the first two months of 2025.
In January, there were 184 cases logged, including the following:
- 46 assists to other agencies
- 28 pistol permits and sales
- 23 general and motorist assists
- 13 suspicious situations
- 11 traffic accidents
- 7 welfare checks
- 6 ordinance violations
- 5 non-aggravated assaults
- 1 breaking and entering
Lowell officers also made 189 traffic stops that resulted in 9 citations in January.
Then, in February, the department logged 146 cases that included the following:
- 33 assists to other agencies
- 23 pistol permits and sales
- 17 suspicious situations
- 14 welfare checks
10 general and motorist assists - 7 traffic accidents
- 4 non-aggravated assaults
- 2 ordinance violations
- 2 stalking/harassment
- 1 aggravated/felonious assault
During February, Lowell officers made 197 traffic stops that resulted in 8 citations.
Break-in at Rookie’s
The biggest case of January was a breaking and entering at Rookie’s on Main Street. There was a big release of Pokemon cards, and someone apparently knew just where to find them in the store. The criminal broke down the front door, walked behind the counter and grabbed them. Nothing else in the store was touched.
Security has been beefed up at Rookie’s, but unfortunately, at the time we spoke to police, they had few leads to go on.
Sentencing for 2024 Fleeing and Eluding Case
Last summer, the Lowell Police Department received a Flock notice that a stolen vehicle had entered the city. As a police officer traveling north on Hudson at the Main Street intersection, he saw the vehicle in question traveling south.
The officer turned around, activated his lights and the stolen vehicle took off, ultimately crossing the center line and hitting another vehicle head-on. The driver of the stolen vehicle fled on foot and was eventually found by a county K-9 unit near the Grand River.
Sentencing took place earlier this year, and the driver of the stolen vehicle received 15 months to 5 years in prison for taking the vehicle under false pretenses. Then, he received a sentence of 3-10 years for fleeing and eluding the officer in Lowell.
Police say the prison sentence for fleeing and eluding took into account the injuries sustained by the other driver. That person had, among other things, a punctured lung and multiple broken bones, including fractured ribs. They required surgery to fuse their vertebra. In addition to the prison sentence, the driver of the stolen vehicle was ordered to pay $68,000 in restitution.
Deadly Domestic Dispute Case in February
The most notable case in February started as a domestic dispute call and ended with a man dead and a woman critically injured.
Lowell Police were called to Speedway to meet with a woman who reported a domestic assault. The woman advised police that she was leaving town to stay elsewhere that night, and police watched her drive away.
The man who remained in the home was said to be intoxicated and have a weapon. With no one appearing to be in immediate danger, police say it is standard practice to wait until the next day to make an arrest so as to avoid escalating the situation needlessly.
However, the woman apparently returned at some point, and neighbors later said they heard gunshots in the middle of the night. There is no record of those being reported to police at the time they occurred, though.
Police returned to the couple’s house the next day when EMTs traced the owner of an apparently crashed vehicle to that property. Officers initially didn’t realize the woman had returned to the home and thought only the male resident was inside. Once the home was entered, they found the man deceased from an apparently self-inflicted injury. The woman was critically injured, and she is reportedly still recovering.
Officers were previously called to the residence on two other occasions for “sounds of a domestic disturbance,” which are typically calls from neighbors who hear raised voices. For these calls, police park away from the property and walk to the door. In both instances, no one answered, and there was no sign anything was amiss. There was no complaint or call received from a resident of the property.
Because of their considerable resources, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office was asked to assist with this case, and they are overseeing its investigation.
Other January and February Cases
Among the other cases from the beginning of the year was an assault at Stoney Lakeside Park. The victim was apparently set up, and when they arrived at the park, three or four people got out of a vehicle and assaulted them. The case is still being investigated.
The prosecutor’s office is reviewing a retail fraud case involving a suspect who was also accused of indecent exposure at a gas station last summer.
At Self-Serv Lumber, a thief has been taking off with expensive batteries. Police think the person may be committing the same crime at other hardware stores regionally.
An 18-year-old was reported missing and endangered by her family, but when found in Indiana, she was apparently unharmed and there of her own volition. Since she is an adult, nothing can be done by police in this situation.
City Gives Send-Off to Chief Chris Hurst
On the final day of February, the City of Lowell held an open house to say good-bye to outgoing Police Chief Chris Hurst as he retired from a long career in law enforcement.
During the event, city staff shared favorite stories from Hurst’s time with the Lowell Police Department, and State Representative Gina Johnsen presented him with a legislative tribute. Hurst also made a last call into dispatch to mark the end of his tenure.
As Hurst rides off into the sunset, we thank him for his many years of service to the community.
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