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.
Police departments often share news about traffic advisories on social media, and on Sept. 19, the Groton Police Department had some fun with one, when they posted a photo of wild turkeys walking in a local roadway. “TRAFFIC ADVISORY: there’s a bit of a delay on Cow Pond Brook Rd. Please avoid the area if possible, as it is more congested than usual this morning,” police wrote, along with the hashtags #ruralpolicing and #grotonma.
JET SKIING EXCURSION GONE BAD
Shortly after 8 p.m. on Sept. 25, police in Lakeville received a report that an 18-year-old man had gone out to jet ski on Long Pond and was more than hour overdue. The timing was uncanny, because moments later police received a 911 call from a resident near the pond who reported hearing shouts for help coming from the water. Police and firefighters responded to the scene. Lieutenant Ryan Maltais, who was operating the Lakeville police boat, ultimately found the missing jet skier at approximately 8:48 p.m., police said. The teen told police that he was thrown from the jet ski and swam to Lewis Island, a small island with a few cottages that’s only accessible by boat (or in this case, by swimming). The teen was taken by boat to Captain Bub’s Marine where he was checked out by fire department personnel, and declined their invitation to visit a hospital. The jet ski could not immediately be found and that search was called off due to darkness and weather conditions.
At 12:54 p.m. Aug. 21, Bridgewater police got a call from someone on Harvard Street who reported an unknown male party walked onto his property and used his porta-potty without permission. Police said the man turned out to be a peddler, and he was ordered to stay off the property.
On the evening of Sept. 11, Duxbury Firefighter Jennifer Stratton rescued someone from the water at East Monponsett Lake in Halifax. Duxbury Fire Chief Robert G. Reardon commended Stratton for her actions. “While off duty, Firefighter Stratton sprang into action, kayaking out and jumping into the water to help pull the victim to shore,” Reardon wrote. “Her willingness to step forward and assist in a dangerous situation demonstrates the courage, professionalism, and commitment to service that define the fire service. Firefighter Stratton’s actions are a reminder that firefighters are never truly off duty when someone is in need. We are proud to have her as a member of our department.”
On Aug. 14, 2025, Waltham police Officer Dan Collins was on his way to work when he stopped at a gas station in a neighboring community and witnessed a scam unfolding right in front of him. Collins spotted an older gentleman who was carrying a lot of cash, and the biggest red flag was that he was heading toward a Bitcoin machine while talking on the phone. Collins quickly interrupted the man on this cryptocurrency mission and learned that he’d been talking to someone pretending to be from “Apple customer support” and the “FTC” who was telling him to deposit $12,000 into the machine to fix a computer virus. Quickly recognizing this was a scam, Collins stopped the man before he lost his money and contacted local police to assist. Police praised Collins for his actions and shared the story on social media. “Great work, Officer Collins,” police wrote, “another example of protecting not only our community, but our neighbors as well!”
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.
