Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our communities.
’TIS THE SEASON
A turtle was recently seen sunning herself on Huguenot Road in Oxford — which, given the traffic, isn’t the best place to soak up the rays. Luckily, an animal control officer came to the rescue and helped move the creature to a safer spot. “It is that time of the year where snapping turtles are active as the females are laying their eggs,’’ police wrote on Facebook. “Please be aware of these turtles who take their sweet time crossing the road.’’ Mid-May to early July is prime time for this, so state wildlife officials say to be on the lookout for slow-moving reptiles on local thoroughfares. And if you have an opportunity to move a turtle off a roadway, make sure to move it in the same direction that it’s heading. “Avoid taking turtles home, and avoid moving them anywhere farther away, even if you think it might be a ‘better’ location,’’ MassWildlife officials said. “Turtles move on roads, in yards, and across landscapes to get to the resources they need, including nesting areas. Turtles have strong homing instincts. If you move one, it will most likely try to return home, and in the process it will cross many more roads. The place you find them is the habitat they know most intimately, because they have grown up in the surrounding area.’’
CRY FOR HELP?
At 12:14 p.m. May 13, Norwood police responded to a 911 call from a Starbucks customer who noticed that “Help Me’’ was written on her cup. The caller told police she’d already left the coffee shop when she noticed the writing. Police spoke to the Starbucks employees, who said it was a joke between baristas. “They have been advised of the consequences of the joke,’’ police wrote.
CLOSE CALL
In the wee hours of the morning on March 17, the Shrewsbury Fire Department shared photos of a tree that fell onto a vehicle that was traveling on Oak Street. “Thankfully there were no injuries to the occupant of the vehicle,’’ officials wrote.
NOT MANNA FROM HEAVEN
On May 13, Beverly police received a report of suspicious activity from a man on Cabot Street who said an unknown U-Haul “illegally dumped a bunch of furniture on his property.’’ Police took a report of the incident.
On April 21, a person strolling around Sandwich spotted a suspicious Amazon package outside a residence. The citizen reported that the box was marked with the words “Assault Rifle,’’ which, “naturally raised some eyebrows,’’ according to police. “After further investigation, it was determined that the package contained a child’s toy,’’ police wrote. “Marketing might want to rethink the packaging on this one.’’
BABY BUNNY ADVICE
On the morning of May 9, Norfolk Animal Control Officer Hilary Cohen received a call about a baby bunny nest in a yard. The caller’s dog was interfering with the nest, which is a common problem, and Cohen shared a solution to the situation. “If you see a brown patch in an area of your lawn that is not normally brown check it, it may be an active nest,’’ she wrote. If it is a bunny nest, you can protect it by taking a laundry basket and cutting out two holes for the mother rabbit to come and go so she can feed her babies. Place the basket upside down over the nest, and position it so the holes are in the same directions the mother is accustomed to traveling. Then put bricks on the top of the basket to weigh it down and keep it in place. Whatever you do, don’t move the nest, and keep your dog away from it for a few weeks until the bunnies are old enough to leave on their own.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.
