August 25, 5:40 a.m.: A person entering the U.S. from Canada was found to have a suspended driver’s license. He was arrested, issued a criminal citation and released with a court date. A licensed driver was located so the vehicle was not impounded.
August 25, 7 p.m.: Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle regarding a vehicle registration violation and learned the operator was the car’s new owner and had a driver’s suspended license. He was arrested, cited and released with a date for a mandatory court appearance.
August 25, 7:40 p.m.: An officer stopped a vehicle on Peace Portal that was being operated by a driver with a suspended driver’s license. The motorist was arrested, cited and released with a mandatory court date.
August 25, 8:51 p.m.: A Blaine officer observed a man on Boblett Street who he knew was wanted on an arrest warrant. The gentleman was detained long enough for the Sheriff’s Office to confirm the district court warrant for failure to appear on a DUI violation, then arrested and booked into jail by the officer.
August 25, 9:40 p.m.: An officer contacted a motorist regarding the expired registration on his vehicle, and found that his driver’s license was suspended for failure to adjudicate prior citations. The motorist was arrested, cited for the license violation and released with a mandatory court date.
August 19, 10:30 a.m.: An elderly Blaine resident came to police for advice. He explained he had received a cashier’s check for $2,500 with a note attached asking him to cash the check and keep $100, then put the rest of the cash an envelope and await further instructions. The gentleman’s local bank staff was watching out for his interests and declined to cash the check, advising him it was likely a fraud scheme. A Blaine officer faxed a copy of the cashier’s check to the bank that issued it, and they in turn contacted their customer in Arizona where the matter had begun. It turned out that person too was a victim in the fraud attempt. The cashier’s check was sent back to the bank so the victim in Arizona could recover his money.
August 26, 10:02 a.m.: Following a hearing in Blaine Municipal Court a judge ordered the defendant to jail for violating the terms of his probation. An officer took the man into custody and transported him for booking.
August 26, 3:41 p.m.: Police received a report that a living room couch was laying across the southbound lanes of Interstate Five south of the port of entry. Officers responded, confirmed the sighting and removed the furniture from the roadway. Washington State Patrol was notified.
August 26, 4:54 p.m.: Police responded to the intersection of Bell and Peace Portal for a rear end collision involving two vehicles. No one was injured in the crash and damage to one vehicle was very minimal. Officers assisted the drivers with exchanging information.
August 26, 6 p.m.: Police responded to a call of a traffic concern in the area of Cedar and Mitchell streets, where a passerby observed a white Lincoln Town Car driving on the street using its hydraulic suspension to bounce in the roadway. The arriving officers found the suspect vehicle parked and unoccupied. Extra patrols were provided to the neighborhood.
August 26, 5:35 p.m.: Police confirmed that warrants from Blaine Municipal Court and Whatcom County District Court were outstanding on a Blaine resident and initiated a search for him. The officers found the man hiding in the laundry room at a relative’s home and took him into custody. He was transported and booked into jail.
August 26, 7:40 p.m.: A concerned resident called police dispatch to report loud noises like fireworks emanating from Lincoln Park. An officer responded, searched the area and contacted several young people in the park. They all denied having heard or used fireworks. They were reminded that Blaine parks close at dusk.
August 26, 7:48 p.m.: A transient gentleman and his canine companion contacted Blaine Police after Canadian authorities returned him to the U.S. for having illegally entered their country. The traveler had nowhere to stay and was provided a courtesy ride to a shelter in Bellingham.
August 27, 12:02 p.m.: A traveler came in to the police department to offer information. She explained that someone had implanted a device in her left ear through which she can hear conversations that other people cannot detect. The device is activated when she receives certain phone calls. She wanted to add Blaine Police to the list of federal and local law enforcement agencies that are already aware of her situation and ability, while she continues her search for a specialist who can remove the device. Her information was documented.
August 27, 3:25 p.m.: A person contacted police to report an incident involving a handgun. He explained the encounter occurred at work, when another person on site displayed a pistol and made comments that left the reporting party feeling nervous. Police contacted the person who had shown the weapon and received a different version of the event. The matter did not meet the criteria for a crime, and the parties involved were counseled about the incident.
August 27, 3:28 p.m.: Customs and Border Protection at Peace Arch port of entry intercepted a B.C. driver whose Washington driving privilege had been suspended because the motorist had failed to adjudicate a traffic ticket. A Blaine officer responded, arrested the woman, cited and released her pending a mandatory court appearance. A friend of the driver came to the port and assumed the duties of driver.
August 27, 5 p.m.: Police received and are investigating a reported no contact order violation. It appears that the suspect committed the violation while residing in the county jail, and the victim was outside the Blaine city limits at the time of the offense. The information is being compiled and forwarded to the appropriate agency of jurisdiction.
August 27, 9:30 p.m.: Police were dispatched to a reported hit and run that occurred sometime during the prior three days. An officer contacted the victim, took photos and documented the complaint. Vehicles in the surrounding area were checked but no matching damage or suspects were located. The victim’s red car suffered a large dent to its driver’s side fender and door edge.
August 28, 3:40 a.m.: Police were called to a business parking lot where it appeared a motorist was experiencing mechanical troubles with her car. An officer was able to jumpstart the driver’s vehicle so she could get back to work.
August 28, 7:30 a.m.: U.S. customs at the Peace Arch port reported that while interviewing a person who was applying for entry in to the U.S. they discovered that the traveler’s driving privileges in the states had been suspended by the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles. Blaine Police were called and an officer responded and confirmed the suspension. The motorist was arrested for driving while license suspended and released with a criminal citation and mandatory court date.
August 28, 9:45 a.m.: A parent came to the police station to report her teenaged son had run away last night and was possibly at a friend’s home. While mom completed the missing person paperwork an officer visited the friend’s house and recovered her son. He was brought to the police department and remanded back to his mother’s custody for three more years.
August 28, 10:05 a.m.: A Blaine resident came to the police department after a bank called him asking for a payment on his $19,911.68 credit card bill. The resident reported he had not opened any credit card accounts at that bank, and was being victimized by identity theft. The bank has determined that someone had opened multiple credit card accounts in the person’s name. A criminal report was initiated at the police department and the bank’s security department is continuing its investigation.
August 28, 3:58 p.m.: A witness came to the police station to provide information regarding a person who was violating probation by being in possession of alcohol. A case report was completed and forwarded to the subject’s probation officer for follow-up and court action as appropriate.
August 28, 7:55 p.m.: During a traffic stop on Peace Portal Drive an officer confirmed that the motorist’s privilege to drive had been suspended. The driver was arrested, cited and released with a mandatory court date.
August 28, 8:20 p.m.: An officer contacted a vehicle parked blocking a traffic lane near 8th and D Street and found the driver was picking up packages at a nearby home-operated business. The motorist was asked to obey parking regulations, and the business was advised of the safety problems customers could cause by improperly blocking the street. They agreed to remind customers to legally park upon arrival.
August 29, 2:53 a.m.: Police were called to the scene of a possible domestic violence incident, and the arriving officers contacted an adult couple with a year-old infant. Mom and Dad had gotten into an argument and the father was intending to leave with the child and file for a court-ordered parenting plan. The officers confirmed that no crimes had occurred and mediated a resolution to the dispute to get the family through the remainder of the night with the help of friends.
August 29, 9:30 a.m.: A resident on F Street reported that a crab cooker and propane tank had been stolen from his back yard overnight. A witness to the theft came forward with information about the suspects and vehicle. Police are investigating the theft.
August 29, 10:30 a.m.: A passing motorist called police to report the railroad crossing arms were malfunctioning at the Bell Road crossing, intermittently activating with no trains in sight. An officer responded, confirmed the problem and notified a Burlington Northern maintenance crew. This turned out to be the first call related to a quickly moving powerful windstorm sweeping in to the area.
August 29, 12:55 p.m.: A resident reported that a tree on a neighbor’s property had toppled during a windstorm, inflicting some damage to a car parked in the resident’s driveway. An officer documented the bent antenna on the vehicle, which is owned by the caller’s employer.
August 29, 8:10 p.m.: Blaine Police was dispatched to a commercial burglary alarm. An officer responded and found the exterior of the building secure. A false alarm report will be mailed to the business.
August 29, 10:50 a.m.: A passerby reported seeing a large flash, possibly an explosion, at the electric power substation on Yew Street at Hughes Avenue. An officer responded to check the area and the utility owner was notified. No damage was found outside the site. Windstorm related.
August 29, 9:48 p.m.: Police responded to a report that a domestic disturbance had just occurred at a house on E Street and one of the individuals was leaving the area. Officers arrived and contacted a man who had been assaulted by his intoxicated girlfriend, after the woman broke out the glass window in the screen door of the home they share. The girlfriend fled on foot after the assault, leaving behind her shoes that she had taken off and thrown at her boyfriend’s truck. The lady was not located that evening and a probable cause arrest report was posted until a warrant can be issued.
August 29, 11 a.m.: An officer patrolling Semiahmoo district during a windstorm encountered downed trees blocking Drayton Harbor Road in the 5300 and 5500 blocks. He was able to clear enough debris to reopen the traffic lanes until public works could complete the task.
August 29, 11 a.m.: A passerby called to report that a railroad barricade arm at the Bell Road crossing had been broken. An officer responded and confirmed that one of the crossing arms had met its demise at the hands, or bumper, of a passing vehicle which had since left the scene. Burlington Northern was advised and dispatched a maintenance crew to repair the damage. The crossing arms had been malfunctioning earlier, dropping when no train was in sight, and it’s possible the arm caught an approaching driver unaware. There is no information on the striking vehicle.
August 29, 11:20 a.m.: An alarm company reported having received an alarm at a business. Officers responded and found the exterior of the building secure with no problems apparent. The activation was possibly related to a windstorm in progress at the time.
August 29, 11:30 a.m.: A passerby reported storm-related landscape damage outside the Blaine Primary School campus on Boblett Street. The responding officer found that a tree in front of the school’s office had been destroyed by wind, and several pieces of playground equipment had attempted to escape but were in detention along the fence line. The officer checked the area not make sure there was no other school property in flight nearby.
August 29, noon: Police responded to a report that a tree at a residence on Madison Street had fallen, damaging a vehicle parked at the house. That was indeed the case, and an officer completed a report documenting the damage after making sure the residents were safe.
August 29, 12:10 p.m.: Police received a report that a falling tree had struck a car parked on Madison Street. The arriving officer discovered the tree had torn down overhead power lines, which in turn had snapped a utility pole, the transformer from which was now engulfed in flames on the ground amid the arcing power lines and tree limbs. The officer suppressed the fire with extinguishers, made sure the people in the adjacent homes were safe and secured the scene until the fire department and Blaine City Light could respond. Windstorm related.
August 29, 12:11 p.m.: During a wind storm police received several reports of trees down on the street and trees having fallen onto arcing Puget Sound Energy power lines along H Street Road west of Valley View Road. Officers responded and cleared some debris from the road, erected warning signs at H Street Road and Harvey, and placed reflective pylons ahead of locations where downed trees blocked traffic lanes. The road remained open with single-lane traffic in three locations. Complete clearing would not be possible until the compromised power lines were made safe. Public works was advised for their light and street crews. PSE restored power and Blaine Police cleared the roadway late the following night.
August 29, 11 a.m.: Police responded when a canopy lifted off from a nearby yard and was snared by a utility line along Steen Street between 4th Street and Harrison Avenue. Neither the canopy nor the line benefited from their encounter. Public works responded and determined the wire belonged to a communications utility, so Blaine City Light crew intervention was not required.
August 29, 12:25 p.m.: Passersby reported a tree down partially blocking D Street east of 8th Street. An officer responded to the scene and was soon joined by helpful neighbors who pitched in to help him cut the tree into manageable pieces and drag it out of the street.
August 29, 12:30 p.m.: Officers responded to the truck route when a wide area power outage shut down the traffic signals at the arterial’s intersections with H Street and Boblett Street. Police and public works set up stop signs to temporarily control traffic at the crossings until the electricity was restored later in the afternoon. Windstorm related.
August 29, 12:30 p.m.: A passerby reported a tree down partially blocking B Street near 14th. An officer responded and was able to move it off the traveled portion of the roadway.
August 29, 12:35 p.m.: An officer patrolling a neighborhood for damage during a windstorm found two downed trees across the 100 block of 15th Street. He was able to cut the trees down to manageable size and drag them out of the roadway.
August 29, 12:45 p.m.: Police received a report that kids were taking creative license with a pedestrian routing sign that had detached from its moorings near the west end of Marine Drive during a wind storm. An officer responded and enlisted the help of the youths in recovering the sign. They took it back to near where it belonged and weighed it down so that Blaine Public Works could later remount it after the storm subsided.
August 29, 12:37 p.m.: Police received a report of a large tree having fallen and a sound of an explosion on 4th Street near Boblett Street during a storm. Officers arrived to find that a very large branch of a very large, very old tree had succumbed to the high winds and crashed to the ground. Fortunately it landed parallel to the road rather than across it, and its only victim was a nearby picket fence, which did not get out of the way in time. Another part of the tree appeared close to falling as well, and a message was left for its owner.
August 29, 1 p.m.: During a windstorm passersby reported that a tree at the corner of 6th and G Street was leaning precariously and about to topple onto the road. An officer responded to the scene and confirmed the observation. All personnel were tied up on other emergencies at the time, so the tree was admonished to keep its branches in the air and not move for the remainder of the day. It complied.
August 29, 1:47 p.m.: A large tree in a yard on Elm Street near School Drive toppled during a windstorm. Its owner’s two parked cars, a neighbor’s parked car, and another neighbor’s parked travel trailer cushioned its fall. Police responded to the scene, confirmed there were no physical injuries, commiserated with residents and documented the carnage.
August 29, 2:22 p.m.: Police responded to a monitoring company report of an activated panic alarm at a residence. It was determined to be a false alarm related to a windstorm in the area.
August 29, 2:48 p.m.: An alarm monitoring service reported receiving an alarm activation at a residence. Officers responded and found the home secure. A recent windstorm was possibly at fault.
August 29, 2:48 p.m.: Police were advised when an alarm company received an activation of an alarm at a government office. Officers responded and found the premises were secure. The alarm was possibly related to a windstorm in the area.
August 29, 3:09 p.m.: A large tree at a residence on Cherry Street near Blaine Avenue crashed to the ground during a windstorm. Officers confirmed there were no injuries and documented the loss.
August 29, 3:28 p.m.: A resident called police after observing two men in a vehicle on G Street pointing a green laser at people they were passing. Officers obtained a good description of the suspects: using a laser in this manner is a criminal act under state law.
August 29, 3:12 p.m.: Police received a report of a tree down blocking the railroad tracks adjacent to the 1800 block of Peace Portal. An officer responded, located the tree, cut it up and hauled it off the tracks.
August 29, 3:58 p.m.: Officers encountered several large tree limbs that had fallen onto the truck route traffic lanes during a windstorm. They were able to drag the branches out of the right of way to prevent damage to passing vehicles.
August 29, 11 a.m.: Police Department Auxiliary Communications Service members assisted with infrastructure protection during a robust windstorm that downed electrical service across all of Blaine and much of northwest Washington.
August 30, 10:37 a.m.: A person reported that her neighborhood is having problems with a couple of children in the area that harass other kids. The person stated that they had attempted to speak with the mother of the two, but had been greeted with profanity and a slammed door. Officers attempted to contact the mother to get her side of the story, but she would not come to the door. The reporting person was advised that police would continue working to contact the parent and was asked to re-contact police should the problem occur again.
August 30, 3 p.m.: A trucking company representative/driver called Blaine police to advise he would be bringing an oversized piece of equipment south through the Pacific Highway port of entry. At WSP’s request, Blaine police provided traffic management on SR 543 during the operation and confirmed the shipment made it safely south of Dakota Creek.
August 30, 8:45 p.m.: An officer contacted three juveniles who appeared to be drawing something on Washington state transportation property, and determined they were drawing lewd images using chalk. The kids were remanded to the custody of their fathers, who were not impressed by the drawings and set to supervising the removal of the artwork.
August 31, 1:45 a.m.: Dispatch advised that a monitoring service reported alarm activations at a manufacturing plant. Officers responded and found an unlocked window but no evidence of tampering or entry. They contacted the monitoring service and reported their findings. The service will notify business management.
August 31, 9:04 a.m.: Officers responded to a report of a physical domestic dispute in progress, during which the 911 line went quiet. Officers contacted two people who had been having a loud argument. One person was detained while the officers investigated. = Both people stated that no physical altercation had occurred, and no arrest was made. Officers cleared without further incident.
August 31, 9:24 p.m.: Police responded to the Peace Arch port of entry after U.S. customs officers intercepted three people in possession of a large amount of marijuana. The group claimed the marijuana was for personal use for the next two weeks while they are in the U.S. Also discovered in the car were several small bags (aka: dime bags) commonly used to distribute small quantities of the drug. One of the occupants of the vehicle had a medical marijuana card. Sadly for the group, it is still illegal to import any amount of marijuana into the U.S., especially in the relatively large amount they had. The marijuana was seized and the group was issued infractions by U.S. customs for illegally transporting the material into the U.S.
September 1, 4:46 a.m.: Police responded to a physical domestic in progress at the residence when a woman called to report a relative was yelling and throwing things inside the house. An officer and Border Patrol agent arrived, witnessed the events in progress and contacted the very intoxicated suspect. He was arrested and booked into jail for domestic violence malicious mischief.
September 1, 12:55 p.m.: An officer was dispatched to the corner of Peace Portal and Bell Road because the railroad crossing arms were stuck in the down position and there was no train in sight. Cars had begun to go around the arms. Burlington Northern Railroad was notified and an officer directed traffic around the grade crossing until Burlington Northern crews arrived to repair the problem.