July brought festivals, concerts and plenty of people to downtown Lowell. Police officers spent more than half their time doing general and directed patrols of the community. Administrative duties and responding to complaints were also among the top tasks for man-hours in July.
During the month, the Lowell Police Department filed 216 case reports, including the following:
- 42 assists to other agencies
- 25 suspicious situations
- 25 general and motorist assists
- 18 pistol permits and sales
- 11 ordinance violations
- 7 traffic accidents
- 5 non-aggravated assaults
- 3 breaking and entering
- 2 disorderly conduct
- 2 trespassing
Lowell officers also made 119 traffic stops that resulted in 34 citations.
Breaking and Entering at Joyology
Marijuana store Joyology was the target of another breaking and entering in July. The perpetrators broke a window with a rock at 3:24am. They were in and out of the building within two minutes.
Lowell police officers have turned over information to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office which has been investigating marijuana store break-ins across the county. The Lowell Police Department has also been in contact with the business about changing how alarms are handled so officers will be more quickly notified should a future break-in be attempted.
Unknown Person in House
A Lowell woman was startled one night when she walked up from her basement to find an unknown person standing inside her front door. The woman had recently returned from work and was taking care of some housekeeping when the incident occurred at around 12:30am.
The person took off when they saw the woman. Police officers scouted the area and checked with local businesses to see if anyone had caught sight of the person but were unable to find anyone matching the description.
Threatening Behavior and Sibling Assault
The Lowell Police Department was notified of a person displaying threatening behavior during a child exchange between parents. One parent drove their car toward the other parent. As of early August, officers were still investigating.
In another assault case, two siblings got into a fight. The older sibling apparently hurt the younger one. This was the department’s lone aggravated assault case for the month.
House Fire on Lafayette Street
At the start of August, the Lowell Police Department helped respond to a house fire on Lafayette Street. While discussing the matter the day after the fire, Police Chief Chris Hurst said the cause was still under investigation.
The home sustained significant smoke and water damage, and several pets were lost in the blaze. However, everyone inside was able to evacuate safely. The incident occurred at about 5:30am, and Hurst credits the home’s smoke detectors for alerting the family in time.
Active Shooter Training
In July, Lowell police officers took part in a state-mandated active shooter training at Lowell Middle School. The day began with some classroom instruction followed by active shooter exercises. The training exercises used guns that shot projectiles to more closely mimic real-world scenarios. Hurst notes that the event also helped familiarize officers with the layout of the new school.
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