As we passed our first New Year's Retrospective Season, here, in Nevada County, I realized that I am, it seems, not the only one around who gets a bit of a kick out of reading the Police Blotter, every day. In fact, during the last week of the December, the Union ran a front page article, entitled "Best of the Police Blotter", with a listing of at least 100 entries from 2007 that they thought to be more than a little quirky. One editor likened reading the blotter entries to watching "the Jerry Springer Show", making one's own life seem relatively calm and serene. And, now, they've begun to highlight, at random intervals, the "Best of the Blotter" for that particular day. I would reiterate that so many of the routine entries reflect sadness and chaos in the lives of local people, but, sometimes, well, there's more than a touch of silly or clueless. I've got too many for one day, but here are a few from the last month, or so...
"4:02pm--A caller from the 100 block of Richardson Street reported someone fired a potato gun the day before and asked for extra patrol in the area." [in case someone fires off a butternut squash gun]
"6:55pm--A woman called from the 14000 block of Anchor Lane to report a person had a paycheck that belonged to her and the person was refusing to give it [to] her or her mother-in-law unless the woman returned the person's pajama pants." [no comment necessary, here]
"6:10pm--A woman from the 300 block of Broad Street reported she was drunk in public and wearing high heels. Officers provided assistance." [file under "misdemeanor poor taste"--everyone knows that heels are out, flats are SO in, now]
"6:10--A woman called from the 22000 block of Wild Canary Road to report an emu had been loose in her driveway for the last three hours. An Animal Control officer was advised." [I'll bet that got everybody counting their emus]
"6:05pm--A caller from a gas station on Penn Valley Drive reported a boy was carrying a vacuum cleaner and small bag. The caller said the juvenile looked very suspicious." [make that EXTREMELY suspicious--my kids wouldn't have been caught dead near a vacuum]
"5:39pm--A caller from Greenhorn Road reported that a scruffy, drunk man with gray hair, in Charger pajama pants, asked the caller to "Call the cops because he was ready to party." The man was driving a blue Silverado truck." [great idea!--the cops are always looking for a party like you]
"1:28pm--A man from the 100 block of Stanford Court reported that Waste Management was stealing his garbage." [what's the world coming to when you can't even leave your trash unattended?]
[more later...]
