During November, the Lowell Police Department kicked off the 7th year of the Cold Weather Warriors program, considered how to make Foreman Street safer during dismissal at Cherry Creek Elementary School and assisted with 130 citizen requests in addition to tracking down criminal cases.
Here’s a snapshot of department activity for November 2021:
- 130 calls for assistance to citizens
- 14 calls for assistance to other agencies
- 11 traffic accidents
- 6 larcenies/retail fraud
- 4 total arrests
- 4 ordinance violations
- 4 verbal assaults
- 3 dog/animal complaints
- 3 disorderly conduct
- 3 assault
- 2 domestic assaults
- 2 malicious destruction of property
Plus, in November, the department made 87 traffic stops and issued 19 citations as a result.
November Police Department Cases
Police Chief Chris Hurst says November was a relatively quiet month with minimal criminal concerns. The department did investigate a case of video games being stolen from a house. There did not appear to be any forced entry, and a prime suspect is a relative believed to have a key. However, officers have are still working to gather proof.
Officers also responded to a call of a disorderly person at Laurels of Kent. In that case, it was a resident who wished to leave but needed to remain at the facility for care.
Someone’s security camera picked up video of a person going through cars in the Key Vista community and causing damage. Hurst reminds people to lock their vehicles to deter would-be criminals.
The many citizen assistance calls were likely a result of a new computer system being used by the police department, Hurst says, The new system automatically creates case numbers every time an officer responds to a call, which means some brief citizen interactions that wouldn’t get logged under the older system – such as helping someone with keys locked inside a vehicle – are recorded now. As a result, Hurst notes residents might see a substantial increase in the number of cases reported each month.
In November, citizen calls were for things ranging from a missing trash can to a missing car. In the latter case, the vehicle was found to have been impounded. Officers also found a remote-control aircraft and controller on the street, and if this is yours, please call the department to identify.
Other Department Activities
In other news, the department has a new vehicle that you may see cruising the streets of Lowell. The color scheme on it is slightly different from that of other Lowell police cars, and it is the first hybrid vehicle to join the department’s fleet.
The police department has also installed a parabolic mirror on Foreman in the hopes that it will increase safety for those pulling out of the Cherry Creek Elementary School parking lot. The mirror should make it easier for exiting vehicles to see around cars that may be backed up on the road.
Although not November news, Hurst notes the Nite-Time Santa Parade was well-attended and without incident. In light of the tragic event in Waukesha, Wisconsin – in which a man drove his vehicle down a parade route, injuring and killing participants and spectators – all access points to the Lowell parade route were blocked with a vehicle. Hurst says it was a joint effort involving the police, Department of Public Works, Lowell Light & Power and the fire department.
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