In the past week, police made 11 motor vehicle stops, two resulting in verbal warnings and nine in written warnings or citations. Officers also helped one person who was locked out of a vehicle and responded to two false burglar alarms.
Tuesday, July 1
At 11:28 a.m. a West Bare Hill Road resident called to say an unfamiliar, empty car had been parked outside their house for some time. The car was gone when police arrived. At 12:14 p.m. the same person phoned again, saying the car was now parked in their driveway. An officer found that the driver was returning the car after some repairs but had dropped it off at the wrong address. At 1:51 p.m. someone came to the station to speak with an officer about a scam. At 6:23 p.m. a Still River Road resident said two men had knocked at the door, apparently soliciting; the men were gone when an officer arrived. At 6:43 p.m. a caller reported someone driving erratically near the intersection of Ayer and Poor Farm roads, but the driver was gone when police arrived. At 9:14 p.m. someone reported several items had fallen from their car the day before on Ayer Road, including a box with the caller’s Social Security card in it. An officer searched the area without success. At 9:48 p.m. a person found a small brown dog near the intersection of Littleton and Shaker roads; the finder soon called again to say the owner was on the way to retrieve the pet.
Wednesday, July 2
At 7:30 a.m. a large fallen branch was reported on Old Shirley Road; an officer was able to move it out of the way. At 11:56 a.m. a FedEx driver found a cellphone in the road and brought it to the station, where the owner reclaimed it. At 2:36 p.m. someone found a black wallet on Ayer Road and brought it to the station; its owner was notified. At 4:43 p.m. a burglar alarm went off at a building on Mass. Ave. Police found it had likely been set off by the janitor. At 7:27 p.m. a walker turned in a set of keys found near the bridge at the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.
Thursday, July 3
At 10:13 a.m. someone on Trail Ridge Way said a little bird was trapped behind their glass fireplace screen; the caller asked for help from the animal control officer. At 11:46 a.m. a Prospect Hill Road resident told police their door security camera showed an unfamiliar gray sedan parked in the driveway; the car was gone when police arrived. At 12:24 p.m. a caller reported an empty car blocking one lane of Old Littleton Road; an officer found the owner was at a nearby house and asked them to move the car into a driveway. At 1:45 p.m. an officer took a drone to Bare Hill Pond to take photos for the harbormaster. At 3:02 p.m. someone came to the station to request a report be filed about an incident at the person’s apartment building. At 6:53 p.m. a caller reported a tree limb on a wire on Still River Road. At 11:22 p.m. an Ann Lees Road resident called after finding a firearm in the house. Police determined it was a BB gun, so the resident agreed to store it until the owner could pick it up.
Friday, July 4
At 10:45 a.m. a caller told police she had been in a minor collision at the intersection of Poor Farm and Littleton roads; no one was injured, and both cars were drivable. At 9:35 p.m. someone reported hearing fireworks near Bolton Road. Police searched the area but found nothing amiss.
Saturday, July 5
At 11:30 p.m. a Baldwin Court resident called 911, saying there was a car on the sidewalk as well as three people with flashlights. An officer found the people were dealing with a disabled car, which they were able to move soon.
Sunday, July 6
At 5:26 p.m. a caller who had been bitten by a dog the previous day asked to speak with the animal control officer.
Monday, July 7
At 9:26 a.m. the dog bite victim called again for the animal control officer; but the number the caller gave did not work when the officer tried to return the call. At 1:01 p.m. a Stow Road resident called for the animal control officer to ask about a rabies clinic. At 4:15 p.m. a 911 caller from the Still River Road area told police she and her dog were pinned against a fence by a coyote and unable to leave the area; an officer came and escorted her out but did not see the coyote. At 5:21 p.m. on Ayer Road a 22-year-old Groton man received a summons for driving with a revoked registration; the car was towed. At 10:06 p.m. an officer attempted to stop a driver going 70 miles per hour on Ayer Road, but the driver fled at high speed on Route 2 to Jackson Road. State police were notified and found the car parked in Devens. Then two state police dogs tracked down the car occupants there. The driver—a 19-year-old Harvard resident–-was arrested and brought back to Harvard. He was charged with speeding, negligent operation, violating marked lanes, and failing to stop for police. He faced a court hearing the following morning.
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.
