Between Tuesday, July 9, and Monday, Aug. 12, police made 46 motor vehicle stops, 27 resulting in verbal warnings, 16 in written warnings or citations, and one in a civil citation, which carries a fine; two vehicles were towed after traffic stops. Officers also checked on nine disabled motor vehicles, helped one person locked out of a vehicle, issued or renewed six firearms permits, made six well-being checks, and responded to at least seven false burglar alarms. The following is a summary of the main police calls in the past five weeks.
Wednesday, July 10
At 12:39 p.m. a caller reported a large piece of construction equipment had fallen off a tractor-trailer on Ayer Road; police removed the hazard.
Thursday, July 11
At 12:57 p.m. a Dunkin’ Donuts manager called, saying a former employee had stolen food and coffee; the 22-year-old Lancaster resident received a summons for larceny.
Friday, July 12
At 1:17 p.m. a car hit a tree along East Bare Hill Road; three people refused ambulance transport, and the car was towed.
Saturday, July 13
At 8:14 a.m. a resident came to the police station to report fraudulent activity in a bank account. At 1:06 p.m. state police asked officers from Harvard, Bolton, and Boxborough for assistance at a domestic dispute that was taking place in a red Volkswagen on Interstate 495 northbound.
Tuesday, July 16
At 8:46 a.m. a caller reported a deer carcass on Ayer Road; the Department of Public Works was asked to remove it. At 3 p.m. a 911 caller reported a two-car collision on Still River Road. No one was injured, but police had to help the occupants get out of the cars. One car needed a tow, and police gave two people a lift to the General Store afterward. At 4:44 p.m. Westford police asked for a Harvard officer to make contact with an Old Littleton Road resident about a collision in Westford.
Wednesday, July 17
At 12:17 a.m. someone called 911 to report a possible break-in on Slough Road. The caller was feeding a friend’s cat while the friend was away and had found the door open and lights on inside. Police checked the house and nothing seemed amiss inside. At 9:47 a.m. an officer stopped a car that lacked an inspection sticker on Ayer Road and found the 37-year-old Leominster resident was driving despite a suspended license; she received a summons for both offenses. At 3:37 p.m. a postal worker reported being bitten by a dog on Old Shirley Road; the animal control officer was notified. Between 8 and 10 p.m. a storm brought down several trees around town.
Thursday, July 18
At 8:50 a.m. an official at the Worcester County House of Correction asked police to notify a Harvard resident about a man who was being released the following day.
Friday, July 19
At 7:03 p.m. a 911 caller reported a broken faucet outside the Harvard Public Library was pouring out water; police called the DPW.
Saturday, July 20
At 8:06 p.m. police issued a summons to an 18-year-old Harvard resident, charging him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and intimidating a witness, juror, or official.
Sunday, July 21
At 10:58 a.m. a 911 caller reported a three-car collision on Still River Road; no one was injured.
Friday, July 26
At 9:30 p.m. a driver ran into a tree near the intersection of Old Shirley and Craggs roads; the car required a tow, and two people refused ambulance transport.
Saturday, July 27: At 1:09 p.m. a 34-year-old Ayer resident received a summons for driving a car that lacked an inspection sticker and for driving without a license.
Sunday, July 28
At 8:42 a.m. a goat was reported loose on Littleton County Road; police returned the animal to its pen. At 2:41 p.m. a caller told police a family without a beach sticker was trespassing at the town beach.
Thursday, Aug. 1
At 11:22 a.m. a veterinary clinic called to reach the animal control officer about a possible outbreak of rabies. At 7:25 p.m. a 78-year-old Lancaster man received a summons for speeding on Prospect Hill Road, passing illegally, violating marked lanes, and failing to stop for police.
Friday, Aug. 2
Starting around 5 p.m. the remnants of Hurricane Debby brought down several trees around town, causing a power outage at 5:50 p.m. At 6:11 p.m. someone came to the police station to report a case of identity theft.
Sunday, Aug. 4
At 8:26 a.m. a caller told police a car had hit a deer on Mass. Ave. An officer had to dispatch the deer, and the state Department of Transportation was called to remove the carcass.
Wednesday, Aug. 7
At 4:46 p.m. Harvard police were called to assist Boxborough officers in breaking up a fight among four people on Swanson Road in Boxborough.
Thursday, Aug. 8
At 2:40 p.m. someone called 911 about a Waste Management truck speeding on Still River Road. Bolton police also responded, and the truck was last reported at a stoplight in Bolton.
Saturday, Aug. 10
At 7:50 a.m. a caller reported the “No Access to Devens” sign at the intersection of Ayer and Old Mill roads had been knocked down. At 12:20 p.m. an Old Shirley Road resident told police their mailbox had been damaged during the night. At 12:57 p.m. someone came to the police station to report a case of stolen identity.
Sunday, Aug. 11
At 8:32 a.m. a broken gargoyle was found to have fallen from the spire of Old Bromfield, now the Harvard Public Library.
Monday, Aug. 12
At 2:39 a.m. a caller reported suspicions about a car that had been parked for about 20 minutes on Park Lane; police found nothing amiss. At 10:29 a.m. police were told someone was sleeping in a car on Old Shirley Road; again there was no problem. At 4:14 p.m. there was a disturbance at Dunkin’ Donuts when a customer demanded a refund; police were called and restored the peace.
The police and fire logs are written by a Press reporter based on dispatch logs and interviews with police and fire staff. Decisions to publish or withhold the names of people arrested will be based on our need to balance the privacy of individuals with our responsibility to report news of significance.
