Police talk about everyday investigation; students try to make way into blotter
Monday and Tuesday, 182 people read The Utah Statesman’s online blotter. It’s a similar story every week. The blotter is one of the most widely read items in the newspaper.
The blotter is compiled of real incidents listed in local police reports.
Capt. Russ Roper of the Logan City Police Department said, “Logan is a safe community with few life-threatening crimes.”
Lt. Joe Izatt of the Utah State University Police Department said the campus crime statistics are low in areas such as theft and rape, and there have been no murders.
However, both university and city police stay busy responding to thousands of incidents and service calls each year.
“Generally, we will respond to every call and conduct an investigation if necessary,” Roper said.
There can never be enough officers, he said.
“We need the eyes and ears of the community and welcome calls about suspicious incidents or persons. People shouldn’t feel reluctant to call the police department,” Roper said.
However, he said people call in what they see, even if it is not real. Pranks can sometimes backfire and take the officers away from real things.
Roper gave an example of some students who thought it would be funny to scare their roommate who was working graveyard shift at a local service station.
The roommates dressed in dark clothes and masks and went in to “rob” the store. A passer-by saw the action, and police cars were screened from across town in response.
“It was dangerous for everyone,” Roper said. “If it is a prank, we waste time and energy.”
Izatt said, “A lot of times [pranks] can cause property damage, and there is potential for someone to get hurt.”
Roper said an officer’s job can be dangerous and exciting but fun and humorous as well.
“You have to look for the good,” he said.
Some students try to get in the weekly Monday blotter.
Bobby Smith, a sophomore majoring in Native American art history, said, “I kind of want to get in it because it’d be cool. We have some good schemes to get us in.”
Shane Shurtliff, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, and Isaac Ashby, a sophomore majoring in wildlife biology, both said they have tried at one time or another to get in the blotter.
Sophomore Justen Hansen, a mechanical engineering major, said, “I haven’t ever tried [to get in the blotter], but I was antagonized by a squirrel once, and I almost reported it.”
Most students agree they like to see the ridiculous incidents each week.
Nathan Peel, a junior majoring in computer science, said, “[The blotter] is entertaining. It’s amazing the stupid things people do.”
Senior Rob France, an anthropology major, said, “It’s always funny to hear about run-ins with the campus police. I think that we need [the blotter]. It lets us know of crime that does indeed happen on our small-town campus.”
Jerome South, a junior majoring in communicative disorders, said, “I love [the blotter]. I think it represents a lot of weird and fun things that happen on campus. It isn’t as serious as everything else.”
Shurtliff said, “I think it’s funny, but it makes me feel sorry for the cops that have to respond to the stupid calls.”
The police often get calls of suspicious noises if someone gets nervous while alone or during a power outage. They also get many animal-related calls and system alarms. They don’t mind those.
Roper said, “It’s fun to live in a community where we still worry about a cow on the road. That’s a pretty nice place.”
He said they have had calls about aliens, Nazis and ghosts.
One situation led police to a home where the complainant described a ghost that would continuously visit her home, stealing food from the freezer and moving the toaster. She wanted the police to exorcize the spirit from her home.
Being sensitive to the situation, one officer took his radar gun to the home and explained it was a tool used to identify the ghost. Once it was found, the officers cornered it and put it in a bag. They took it west of town and turned it loose.
“We want to treat everyone with respect and make sure they feel comfortable and safe,” Roper said.
-julia@cc.usu.edu