Plan to be safe at summer festivities

It may be a bit early, but I’d like to mention a couple of things coming up.

Our nation’s birthday is around the corner, which means Boulder City’s famous small-town, Norman Rockwell-like Fourth of July parade will be staged. We need your help to make this year’s parade just as safe as last year’s.

Do not bring or throw water balloons. Plain and simple, water balloons can be considered a projectile. It would be really sad for the celebration to become tainted by getting a ticket or worse, overnight accommodations, courtesy of the detention center.

Another issue for discussion is the closure of the dry lake bed on July 4. Please pass the word along to your family and friends in Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. Boulder City Police Department, with some help from some of these jurisdictions, will button up the dry lake bed. Correct, the dry lake bed will be closed for everyone’s safety.

Think about it: The last thing we need is some possibly inebriated yahoo to light up illegal fireworks and blow himself up, or worse, injure others.

May 18. The reporting person called to advise he can’t find his handgun. You’re kidding, right? Officer makes contact with subject who advises last seeing his Glock semiautomatic handgun around the end of April. The officer completes a report and the gun is entered into the National Crime Information Center as stolen. Please secure your weapons; gun ownership is our right and inherently requires responsibility.

May 19. A father called regarding wanting his son removed from the residence. We arrive and the father asks the officer to assist in removing his intoxicated son from the house. The son has been staying at dad’s house four weeks now. Dad says the son’s in a “duh” state of mind. Officers explain the legality of the needed eviction process. That’s probably not the resolution the dad wanted to hear, but having a guest/family stay with you could get complicated once they overstay their welcome.

May 20. A complainant comes into the police department’s lobby to report a very suspicious phone call. The subject reports their 11-year-old daughter received a phone call requesting her to take inappropriate pictures of herself. The officer files a report. Listen up! Please talk with your kids about the dangers of the current day’s media forums. Cellphones, Facebook, Instagram and numerous other media outlets may pose a risk to trusting juveniles — even adults.

May 21. An officer is dispatched to the area of Comanche Way regarding a burglary. The officer learns the thief forced entry into the garage and then into the home. Interestingly, the items stolen were alcohol, a pellet gun and candy. The case is under investigation. The fingerprints they left should narrow down the suspect list.

May 22. We get dispatched to Bootleg Canyon regarding a vehicle in a ditch behind the Safety First Building. Officers arrive and it looks as if a UFO placed the vehicle at the location. No driver, no tread marks and not even a road leading to where the vehicle is. How did it get there? Officers make contact with the registered owner, who says the daughter had the vehicle and was in Boulder City for the race. The car was towed. I can’t wait to hear the story the parents are going to get from little missy.

May 23. Officers respond to the home of a reported missing juvenile. The adult brother advises his missing juvenile sister called his cellphone. One problem — she doesn’t know where she is. An officer is able to make phone contact with the juvenile and determine the juvenile’s location, Oasis Park. The missing juvenile was incoherent and under the influence of substances. She was unable to account for the past three days and was taken to University Medical Center. An investigation revealed no assault had taken place, just a child in desperate need of supervision.

May 24. What a gorgeous day! I smell some Best Dam Barbecue. We get dispatched to accident near Taco Bell. It’s a minor accident with no injuries, thank goodness. However, the at-fault driver has a bit of an aroma coming from the breath. Yes, we are familiar with this odor. After a couple of field sobriety tests, it’s determined the subject is over the limit. Would you believe me if I told you the subject was more than four times the legal limit? Did I mention, good morning, it’s about 10 a.m. You know what happens next.

I’d like to take a moment and congratulate Boulder City Fire Department for its accomplishment: their victory over Boulder City Police Department at the Best Dam Barbecue rib eating contest! Congrats once again to the fire department.

I hope everyone had a great week. Enjoy the family, friends and be thankful for all the good you have. Until next week Boulder City, see ya!

Officer Jeffrey Grasso is a 10-year veteran of the Boulder City Police Department. He previously served as a police officer in south Florida for four years.