The Bremerton police blotter has been on hiatus for about a month. With apologies, here’s the latest installment:

Theft from a pay box, Burwell Street at Pacific Avenue: Police responded to the Harborside Parking Garage for a report of someone stealing money from a pay box Aug. 12. A sergeant arrived to find a man leaving in a car who tried to divert police by saying “Are you looking for a gun who ran toward the back?” The sergeant didn’t buy it, noting the driver matched the suspect description and had a worried look on his face as if he’d done something wrong. “I have three children of my own and have seen this expression many times before,” the sergeant said. The man, who was found with $26 in wrinkled bills, went to jail.

Disorderly conduct, 600 Park Avenue: An officer Aug. 12 watched as a man at the 7-Eleven store tried to pick a fight with a stranger, kicking a propane bottle storage rack and making “karate gestures.” He was taken to jail for disorderly conduct.

Theft from front porch, 1000 Walnut Street: A woman told police Aug. 13 that a UPS package was stolen off her front porch. Police have no suspects.

Suspended license and more, 2600 E. 10th Street: An officer Aug. 14 watched a car with a defective tail pipe drive by him on the Manette Bridge. He attempted to pull the car over, but the driver, who was on a cell phone, kept driving, including running a stop sign. He finally stopped and told the officer he was getting medicine for his pregnant girlfriend. He let an officer search his car, confirming first a half an ounce of pot inside. Nothing criminal was found. He was taken to jail for having a suspended license and the officer wrote several citations stemming from his driving.

Stolen liquor, 2900 Wheaton Way: A man walked out of Albertsons with a vodka bottle Aug. 14. Police arrived to find him walking in the area. The man had recently been featured on the police department’s “High 5” list. He told officers to “just take me to jail.” They did. A second man on the very same day attempted to steal two bottles from the store as well, police said. He met the same fate.

Burglary, 5200 Sinclair Way: Officers were called to an audible alarm at a business on Sinclair Way early Aug. 14. A front window was broken out to gain access inside. Police are still investigating.

Very drunk teen, 1400 Fourth Street: A woman found a 14 or 15 year-old teenager passed out on Fourth Street late Aug. 15. When she came to, officers took her blood alcohol level and found it to be .40. “I have never in my years as a police officer had a subject provide a breath sample that high before.” The teen was belligerent all the way to, and at, Harrison Medical Center. Police left her to be treated for the alcohol overdose.

Stolen bicycle, 2500 Cherry Avenue: A Harrison Medical Center worker said someone cut his bike lock and took his $500 bike while it was chained up at work Aug. 15. Police have no suspects. Bike theft has been rampant in Bremerton lately.

Vehicle prowling, 200 South Summit Avenue: A woman reported Aug. 15 that someone had stolen a couple of iPod touches out of her car sometime overnight. Police have no suspects.

Theft from rental home: 100 North Marion Avenue: A woman reported Aug. 15 that a washer and dryer had been stolen out of the rental unit she owns. Police are investigating.

Harassment in the ER, 2500 Cherry Avenue: Officers were called to Harrison Medical Center Aug. 17 for a man harassing and asking for money from people in the emergency room lobby. He’d admitted himself to the ER five times in the past 48 hours. Police told him not to return to the ER unless he was brought there by police or EMS. A report was forwarded to the Bremerton city prosecutor for review of the incident.

Was it the dog?, 3500 Parker Lane: A man came home to find a pile of feces on his bed Aug 17. His house was locked up and his dog was “cowering” in another portion of a house separated by a baby gate, leading the owner to believe someone else had done it. Police decided that, judging by the fact nothing else had been taken, it was probably the dog, but told the owner to give police a call if anything was missing.

Trespassing, 1000 Park Avenue: Officers found a man camping on Puget Sound Energy property Aug. 17. He was told to leave.

Vehicle prowling, 3200 Pine Road: A woman reported Aug. 17 that her iPad was stolen out of her car overnight. There are no suspects.

Left in the car, 4100 Kitsap Way: Officers were called Aug. 17 for an approximately 3-year-old child left in a car. The mother of the child reported she’d only been in the store for a few minutes; store employees said it was at least 20. An officer told her how dangerous it was to leave a child in a hot car and, when asked why she did it, she responded the baby was “cranky.” Police took a report for prosecutors to review and let the mother and child go.

Shoplifting, 2900 Wheaton Way: A woman Aug. 17 stole chicken and donuts from Albertson’s. Police were able to track down the car she allegedly fled in but she was not in it at the time. Officers are looking for her.

Vehicle prowling, 4000 Bledsoe Avenue: A man told police that his car was prowled sometime overnight Aug. 18. He came outside to find his car doors open, with a GPS device, stereo face plate, 24-pack of cola and bag of chips missing. Police have no suspects.

Driving under the influence, Olympus Drive: An officer pulled a car over doing 40 mph in a 25 mph zone Aug. 20. The driver, who said he was the “DD” smelled of alcohol and exhibited signs of being intoxicated, an officer said. He blew a .12 blood alcohol level, higher than the .08 legal limit, and was taken to the Kitsap County Jail.

Counterfeit bill, 2100 Sixth Street: A man Aug. 20 passed a counterfeit $20 bill, but the clerk knew it was fake and would not accept it. The man left the store before police arrived. The incident remains under investigation.

Domestic assault, 100 Bloomington Avenue: Police were called there early Aug. 21 after a woman had an altercation with her boyfriend. He allegedly punched through a door and they struggled; she ended up with what appeared to be a broken nose. Police are working to track down the suspect.

The Bremerton Police Department has a small surplus of gun locks that officers have decided to donate to the public. There’s only 30 of them, but anyone who comes to the front desk in the near future can get one.

“The gun locks are an added layer of safety,” said Bremerton Officer Frank Shaw. It’s not a foolproof way to keep firearms safe, but it is an important step in the right direction. Safe storage to keep firearms out of reach of children is another important layer of protection.”

The locks come with instructions. Anyone who gets a free lock must also sign a waiver.

For more information, call Bremerton Police Community Resource Specialist Joe Sexton at (360) 473-5231.

You may have seen our recent story about how Bremerton police officers are cracking down on the most chronic criminals. Here’s an inside look at how Chief Strachan came to the conclusion the “High 5” list was necessary.

A few weeks back, I got a call from Bremerton resident Chris McEwen about a pretty bizarre set of circumstances. McEwen told me that while running his dog in the Grocery Outlet parking lot off Sylvan Way, he was approached by a stranger who told him he was a “federal agent making a citizen’s arrest.”

McEwen says he has a seemingly inexhaustible dog that he works out by driving, with the dog following closely behind. The mysterious man approached his car about what McEwen was doing.

It just didn’t smell right to McEwen. He asked for the man’s badge number and agency that he worked for. “That’s classified,” the man replied. When he got suspicious, he phoned 911, and the apparent “special agent” took off in a mid-90s Pontiac Grand-Am.

That was June 30. On July 4, another report came to Bremerton police’s attention: same facts, only in the area of Elm Street and Hefner Avenue on the east side.

Bremerton police officer Robbie Davis tells me that the incidents are still being investigated. I’ll keep you posted.

McEwen points out just how scary it is to have someone claiming to own a badge when, in fact, he does not. It undermines the entire system of law and could be used quite nefariously.

“We’re trained to obey civil authorities,” he told me. “When we’re told to pull over, we pull over.”

Bremerton Police Capt. Tom Wolfe reminds residents that if you’re having doubts about who’s pulling you over, don’t hesitate to call 911 and confirm that you’re being stopped by a proper officer.

They were doing what in Evergreen-Rotary Park? Here’s your weekly police blotter:

Thrown rock, Fourth Street at Washington Avenue: Police were called June 18 for a man who said a bystander threw a rock at his truck. Officers noted a dent on the side of the truck. The victim explained he’d honked a couple times due to heavy traffic, which may have provoked the bystander. Police searched the area and found a man who told them he didn’t throw a rock, but did witness the driver being “crazy” and taking off at a high rate of speed. No arrests were made.

Vehicle prowl, 100 Washington Avenue: A car’s rear passenger side window was broken out in the Harborside parking garage June 19. It was unknown at the time of the report if anything was taken. Police have no suspects.

Assault, 800 Sixth Street: Police went to Salvation Army June 20 for an alleged assault. The victim said he was standing in line for breakfast when he’d been approached by a man who called the victim a “punk,” and then punched him in the face. The suspect’s only statement to police was that “people keep calling me a rape-o,” police said. The suspect was taken to the Kitsap County Jail.

Breach of trust, 3500 Parker Lane: A man told police June 20 that he’d moved from Florida to Bremerton recently and hired a company to drive his car across the country. But the company, which apparently promised to deliver the car to his door in Bremerton, said he needed to come to Seattle and get it or wait a few more days. Police said they couldn’t do anything because he’d given permission to the company to drive his car, but the man asked police to be on the lookout for it anyway.

Threats with a knife, Sylvan Way at Almira Drive: Police found a woman threatening to hurt herself with a knife June 20. The woman was “screaming, yelling about money and waving her arms,” before taking the knife and “poking” herself in the chest with it. She then threw the knife at an approaching officer, though the officer noted it landed “harmlessly.” A family member of the woman said she’d smoked meth several hours earlier and had become “increasingly difficult to deal with.” She was taken to Harrison Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.

Found debit cards, 4200 Wheaton Way: A skateboarder found four cards, two of them debit cards in the area June 21. Police found out the man who the cards belonged to was in the Kitsap County Jail. They visited the inmate, who said he’d been at the homeless camp by Fred Meyer and had been drinking at the time. He thinks his backpack was left behind when he was arrested by county sheriff’s deputies. Police left the cards with Jail staff for the inmate to have when he’s released.

Flooding, 500 Pacific Avenue: Police responded to an alarm at the Tim Ryan Building June 21. With the help from firefighters, they found someone had turned on a water valve in the stairwell, flooding the parking garage inside the building. Used condoms and syringes were also found in the area. The water damage was limited to the parking garage and police vowed to do frequent patrol checks of the building.

Arguing over meth, 100 Bloomington Avenue: Police were called to the area June 21 for a report of a couple arguing over meth. The woman had a probation violation warrant and was taken to the Kitsap County Jail. The man told police they should know who he is because he just got out of jail. He wasn’t wanted for any crimes though police said he was trying to draw them into a “confrontation.” He eventually left the area.

Domestic assault, 3900 Wheaton Way: Two witnesses told police June 21 they saw a man hit his girlfriend while the couple was trying to change a tire in a parking lot. The alleged victim denied she’d been hit by her boyfriend. Police took the boyfriend to jail for assault.

Graffiti, 2500 Cherry Avenue: Harrison Medical Center staff June 22 told police that someone had just sprayed a swastika on a building at the hospital campus. Meanwhile, police got a call from a man wanting to report graffiti. When they met the man, he said he’d gone to visit a woman who’d just gotten out of jail. He’d agreed to give the woman, who was drunk and had a can of spray paint, a ride. Everywhere they went, she’d paint a swastika, to include the hospital, the downtown ferry terminal and another business. The man finally let her out of the car and he called 911. She was taken to the Kitsap County Jail and police advised the man that “it would probably be a good idea not to have any further dealings” with the woman.

Driving under the influence, 3200 Olympus Drive NE: A taxi driver reported June 22 that his cab had been rear-ended by a vehicle. The driver of that vehicle asked the cab driver not to call police. He did anyway. Officers responded and found the driver who’d caused the crash to be intoxicated. A breath test found he was .18, more than twice the legal limit for driving. He was taken to the Kitsap County Jail.

Thefts from lockers, 2200 Homer Jones Drive: The YMCA informed Bremerton Police June 23 that six lockers had been broken into, with petty cash taken from three different people. YMCA staff stated it’s the third wave of thefts in the locker room, police said. Police have no suspects, but recommended the staff put up flyers and perhaps a reward in an attempt to catch the thieves.

Lewd conduct and indecent exposure, 1500 Park Avenue: Officers were called June 23 for a report of a man and a woman “having relations” at Evergreen-Rotary Park. A couple had called 911, alarmed they were having sex in the park and “being quite loud,” while it happened. Police arrived to find a man engaged in oral sex with a woman at a picnic table. A third man was at the table watching the act, police said. When an officer asked the man involved in the alleged sexual activity what they were doing, the man replied, “you know what we were doing. I am embarrassed.” Police put the man into handcuffs but later released him, telling both the man and woman to leave and that a report of the incident would be forwarded to the Bremerton city prosecutor for a review of lewd conduct and indecent exposure charges.

Nuisance property, 1100 Warren Avenue: Police were patrolling near 1108 Warren Avenue June 24 — which officers said was a “chronic nuisance property” — and found a woman staying inside that had a misdemeanor suspended license warrant for her arrest. She was taken to jail, police said.

Broken mailbox, 6000 Harlow Drive: Officers were called June 24 for a report of a damaged locking mailbox. The resident who owns the mailbox said she couldn’t open it anymore, police said. Police have no suspects.

Blogger’s note: this post comes to us from Kitsap Sun Editor David Nelson. 

A few readers in Manette have pointed out a recent court case that acquitted a Bremerton teenager of an assault charge. They are curious why we haven’t given the incident more attention, particularly because a Seattle television station did at least two reports this week.

There are two questions to address here:

1. Why haven’t we published a story on the alleged assault?

2. How do we follow crime overall to share public safety information with readers?

One of our reporters did hear about the May 7 assault in the days after it happened. He called police several times for more information, and they declined to give details. The reason may have been because the assault was under investigation or because it involved a minor, which are legitimate criteria police have to temporarily withhold information about a crime. We do depend on our police relationships as one guideposts on when to report or not report a crime (though law enforcement’s opinion is not the only thing that we base decisions on). In this case, had the police felt there was an immediate danger to the neighborhood I hope they would tell us so we could share that with readers. They didn’t, so the rush to run a story with incomplete information was not as pressing.

When we saw the Q13 report this week, we decided to report the outcome of the court case. But the suspect was acquitted. At that point, the story would have been about unfounded allegations a month after the incident occurred. Legally, there was no crime to report on.

That’ll sound like an excuse those in Manette who are alarmed there may be a kid running around randomly attacking people. (Full disclosure: I live in Manette, too, and often go running where the incident occurred.) The initial arrest would have been newsworthy — had we had the complete story — and a reporter did seek information for several days. So we didn’t blow it off or cover something up. We just didn’t know enough about what happened, and the subsequent circumstances and other daily obligations kept us from following it more closely.

I thought that offering this glimpse at the how our reporters find out about possible crime will illuminate the case a bit more.

We learn about suspected crimes in five ways:

1. Checking police reports. We do not check reports daily from each of the county’s six agencies (not including Washington State Patrol). It’s time-consuming, and at times difficult because of legal restrictions (certain cases under investigation, for example) or delays in filing reports (say, information that must be redacted before going for public view).

2. Checking the daily Kitsap County Jail “in custody” list. This is something we do every day, and is probably the most efficient way to find out what’s going on. The list tells us who was booked into jail, for what suspected crime, and at what bail amount. A reporter learns to seek out potentially newsworthy arrests — whether a large bail amount or a serious crime listed — and we then request charging documents or police reports to find out more on that specific incident.

3. Communication with police or sheriff’s deputies. LIke I said above, law enforcement will let us know, whether a phone call or a news release, when something of public safety is going on.

4. Tips from the community. Folks call in, post to our Facebook page, email us, etc. when they see something happening. We can’t follow up on every single tip, but we’ll chase those that sound newsworthy.

5. Listen to the scanner. It’s going as I write, just like always in the newsroom. Editors and reporters are trained to listen for police traffic on incidents that we call police for more information about.

At this point it’s worth noting that the reported Lebo Avenue assault only fit one of those criteria — we got a tip from a reader. Bremerton police didn’t immediately provide the report or oral details and the suspect was booked into jail as a juvenile, which means his name was on a list that isn’t made public. We like those tips from the community, but they can also be the difficult to chase down solid information about.

What follows those five methods in a reporter’s decision making is a more detailed explanation — there are value judgments about what crimes to write up, protocols on felony cases or sex offenses, when to name or not name a suspect who is charged with a felony, and which cases we will follow through the court system. There’s no single answer that applies to everything.

What may be confusing for a reader is the variety of practices different media have in crime reporting. In this case, a Seattle television news station chose to focus on one incident in Bremerton even though Q13 very rarely reports on any other crime in our neighborhoods — so there’s little precedent for their coverage. The station chose to name and photograph the victim, which we rarely do, though it’s clear Jordan Monasmith was a willing participant in the coverage. And TV news overall tends to swoop in for a single crime incident then leave quickly — while our reporters have the job of following a crime through the court system for weeks or months.

We write Code 911 items to keep people informed of the criminal activities in our area and to illustrate what law enforcement, fire departments and our court system does each day. Our crime reporting can never be exhaustive. There are times when we’ll make a clear decisions against reporting on something, as well as instances when circumstances (unavailability of information, for example) determine our response. We want to err on the side of public safety, without being alarmist — and with 250,000 people living in neighborhoods around Kitsap County, we’ll never be able to write up everything that is possibly of interest.

But we continue to keep public safety in mind as part of our role. Let me know if you have questions, or comment below.

The first game featuring area youth facing off against local police officers on the hardwood was by all accounts a smashing success. Players and onlookers packed the Sheridan Center to watch a night of basketball last October.

That has spurred a second game, to be played Saturday night at Bremerton High School. I am hearing there could be some special guests, but for the most part, it will be a similar format. This time around, there will also be some Seattle police officers, too.

Tip off’s at 5 p.m. at the high school gym. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call Marsha Greene at (360) 509-7349.