Between July 8 and Aug. 11, police made 39 motor vehicle stops, 16 resulting in verbal warnings, 20 in written warnings or citations, and one in a civil citation, which carries a fine. Officers also made eight well-being checks, issued or renewed six firearm permits, and responded to 10 false burglar alarms.
There were also 19 calls about road hazards or downed tree limbs and wires, as well as 18 calls about animals. Police say none of the animal calls was about bears, although they have been seen in Harvard neighborhoods recently and one was photographed near the Route 2 overpass on Old Littleton Road, as posted on Nextdoor. Wildlife officials regularly caution people to secure their garbage cans and keep bird feeders well out of reach to avoid attracting hungry bears.
The following is a summary of the main police calls in the past five weeks.
Tuesday, July 8
At 9:34 p.m. there was a two-car collision on Prospect Hill Road; no one was injured.
Friday, July 11
At 3:37 p.m. a caller reported water coming up by a hydrant near the intersection of Depot and Old Shirley roads; it was an ongoing problem related to construction in the area.
Tuesday, July 15
At 2:42 p.m. a bank manager of the Hanscom Federal Credit Union said a Harvard resident had electronically withdrawn $2,500 from an account belonging to a person in Pepperell; the manager asked to speak with an officer about the issue.
Friday, July 18
At 3:56 p.m. someone came to the police station to report being bitten by a dog.
Monday, July 21
At 11:38 a.m. Harvard police assisted Boxborough officers in a case of vandalism on Paddock Lane. A 40-year-old Boxborough man received a summons for malicious destruction of property.
Tuesday, July 22
At 5:01 p.m. a Harvard officer issued a summons to a 29-year-old Arlington woman for driving an uninsured and unregistered motor vehicle.
Thursday, July 24
At 9:38 a.m. an officer filed a report on the destruction of town property near the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Woodchuck Hill Road.
Tuesday, July 29
At 3:42 p.m. Harvard police joined Lancaster officers searching for two juveniles who were riding motorized bikes near Still River Road. One of the bikes had been stolen. Lancaster police later found an airsoft gun dropped by one of the juveniles; the stolen motorbike was also recovered after the pair abandoned it. The juveniles then fled on foot to the south post at Devens. Although the Harvard Fire Department deployed its drone and the state police helicopter aided in the search, the two youths were not located. Police say they may have been picked up by another person in the area.
Tuesday, Aug. 5
At 5:59 p.m. a Harvard officer issued a summons to a 35-year-old Gardner woman on Ayer Road for driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle; the car was towed.
Wednesday, Aug. 6
At 12:25 p.m. a 911 caller reported hearing someone yelling for help in the woods between Willow Road and Bare Hill Pond. With assistance from the Boxborough K9 unit and Harvard’s comfort dog Franny, officers searched the area but found nothing amiss; children had simply been playing and shouting outdoors.
Sunday, Aug. 10
At 5:47 p.m. Harvard officers helped Littleton police who were serving a warrant on someone who was barricaded in a house on Littleton Road.
Monday, Aug. 11
At 7:56 p.m. a 911 caller reported a two-car crash on Prospect Hill Road. No one was injured, but National Grid was called because of damage to a utility pole.
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.
