July 4 busy, but routine
The July 4 holiday brought hot beach days, clear summer skies, and droves of visitors. But while it was generally busy, the weekend was routine, according to reports from Island police departments.
Photo by Ralph Stewart
Police reported an increased number of emergency calls and more vehicles on the road, but major incidents were few: An Oak Bluffs police sting operation landed three people in jail. Claudia's jewelry in Edgartown was broken into on Sunday. A bus and a moped collided on Saturday in West Tisbury.
At the Martha's Vineyard Hospital emergency room, Monday was the busiest day of the long weekend holiday, with 99 patients treated.
Dr. Alan Hirshberg, hospital emergency room director, said that most of the emergency room traffic was typical of a summer holiday weekend. He cited bicycle accidents, asthma attacks, cuts and scrapes, and heart problems among the most common emergencies.
Martha's Vineyard Airport officials reported a busy but typical holiday weekend as well. Bill Weibrecht, airport manager, said revenue from fuel sales and landing fees appears to be slightly up from last year. He said thunderstorms in New York caused some delays on Thursday, and fog on Friday backed things up.
"It was a busy weekend. Sales were up, and we were impacted by the weather, but it was good weekend without any major incidents," said Mr. Weibrecht.
Arrests aplenty in Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs, where police made 25 arrests over the weekend, was the busiest town for police over the holiday weekend.
Lt. Timothy Williamson, of the Oak Bluffs police department, said offenses included assault and battery on a police officer, drug violations, drunk driving, procuring alcohol for a minor, and disorderly conduct.
Among the more significant arrests, Oak Bluffs police conducted an undercover sting operation in which three people were arrested.
Keith Murphy, 22, of Yarmouth, was arrested for allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was charged with distribution of cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug laws, possession of a class B drug (cocaine), and possession of a class D drug (marijuana). He also faces two outstanding arrest warrants in other jurisdictions, according to police.
As part of the sting, Skyler Ralston, 20, of Cohasett was arrested for conspiracy to violate drug laws. Sean Chase, 21, of Cohasett was arrested and charged with procuring alcohol for a minor.
Oak Bluffs police also arrested Jordan Clements, 22, of Tisbury and charged her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. According to police, Ms. Clements allegedly hit another woman in the head with a glass bottle at the Lampost Lounge on Circuit Avenue. The victim was treated at the scene for deep lacerations to the arm and head and transported by ambulance to Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Police located Ms. Clements near the bar and transported her to the hospital for treatment for a laceration to her right hand before taking her to the Dukes County jail.
Lieutenant Williamson said aside from the many arrests, police were kept busy with the usual traffic violations and July 4 noise and fireworks complaints. In total, the department received 15 noise complaints and nine fireworks complaints.
Edgartown calls down
Despite hosting the annual July 4 parade fireworks show, Edgartown police reported a relatively quiet holiday weekend. Sgt. Tony Bettencourt said the department received 82 calls for service between July 1 and July 5, down from 94 calls during the same period last year.
Among the more significant incidents, Sergeant Bettencourt said $3,750 in jewelry was stolen from Claudia's on Main Street. Police received a call at approximately 5:40 am Sunday morning with a report of a large broken window in the front of the jewelry store. The owner told police that a chain and pearl necklace worth $2,250 and a pearl and diamond necklace worth $1,500 were stolen out of the window display. Police believe the thief broke the window with a large rock, grabbed the jewelry and fled the scene. Sergeant Bettencourt said he has no leads at this time.
Among the other incidents, Sergeant Bettencourt reported several medical assists and minor traffic accidents. "It was relatively quiet as far as we were concerned. I think we had a good-sized crowd, it was just more orderly than in the past. We definitely had less incidents," he said.
Tisbury mostly routine
Ted Saulnier, Tisbury police chief, said, "July 4 was really just a routine, busy summer weekend."
Chief Saulnier said police received a variety of calls for service, from minor traffic accidents, domestic disturbances, and noise complaints.
Among the notable events over the weekend, Chief Saulnier said a "hostile" party in Vineyard Haven had to be broken up. The incident led to several charges. The homeowner was charged with being the keeper of a disorderly house, and a minor was charged with possession of alcohol.
"It wasn't so much that it was a big party as it was a hostile party. At one point they were pelting the cruisers with whatever objects they could find. We actually called in assistance from Oak Bluffs and Edgartown to break it up," said Chief Saulnier.
West Tisbury busy
In West Tisbury, Chief Beth Toomey reports that the police were busy throughout the long weekend with traffic, noise complaints, domestic disturbances, and fireworks complaints. However, with the exception of a collision between a bus and a moped on Saturday, the activity could best be described as routine, normal for the Fourth of July weekend.
The accident between the bus and the moped tied up traffic on State Road for an hour or two.
There were numerous minor noise complaints: fireworks on Oak Lane, a noisy band playing after 10 pm on Old County Road, and loud parties on Skiffs Lane. But all responded appropriately to police visits, and there were no arrests.
Two juveniles were intercepted shooting cap guns at cars at "Dead Man's Corner" on State Road next to the West Tisbury cemetery. While cap guns do not fire projectiles, Chief Toomey commented that aiming guns at cars is not a smart thing to do these days and could frighten a driver enough to cause an accident.
The West Tisbury police kept a high profile with radar to intercept speeders, and the long weekend saw many stops, most of which resulted in warnings. One driver was arrested for driving with a revoked license.
In the run-up to the weekend and in town generally this spring and summer there has been an increase in the number of calls for the police to intervene in domestic disputes. This, she says, is a state-wide trend. Chief Toomey theorizes that some of the increase may be because of a weak economy, which puts stress on relationships when jobs are scarce and money is short.
There were several domestic violence calls this July 4 weekend. While none involved a weapon more dangerous than a shod foot, all were serious enough to warrant a police presence. Not all domestic dispute calls involve spouses. Some, like a call in the early hours of July 5, involve disputes between a brother and sister. Chief Toomey commented that the police routinely call upon Women's Support Services of Martha's Vineyard Community Services to follow up after peace is temporarily restored, even when the abused person is a man, as it sometimes is.
In West Tisbury, a housemate who describes a relationship in danger of turning violent is often advised by a friend: "Why don't you go talk to the chief?" Chief Toomey says she is not a counselor, but she is willing to "referee" domestic disputes before they escalate to violence and calls to 911. When people are upset enough to talk to her about the way the relationship is heading, she has often been able to use her training and experience to head off violence. "But sometimes," she says sadly, "they don't listen."
Up-Island active
Chilmark police said the weekend was busy, with a few motor vehicle related arrests, and a serious moped crash.
Officer Jeff Day of the Chilmark police department said on Tuesday a moped rider lost control and crashed over a guardrail on South Road. He said the female, whose name was not released, suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Police also arrested a driver after pulling him over and discovering an open container of alcohol, and a seatbelt violation. When police searched the vehicle they also discovered a small amount of marijuana. Officer Day did not release the driver's name.
Among the other incidents over the holiday weekend, Officer Day said police arrested a driver operating a vehicle without a license and another driver who was driving with a suspended license.
Aquinnah police reported a busy weekend, but no serious incidents.
Among the holiday calls, an 11-year-old girl was taken to the hospital after falling off her bike at 6:25 pm on Saturday on State Road. She was released that evening, and the family tell police she is doing well.
A telephone pole at the Moshup Trail and Old South Road intersection caught fire at 7 pm on Sunday. The electrical fire burned through the top of the pole, but burned out within five minutes. The incident left a few houses without power for an hour until an NStar crew repaired the damage.
Times contributing editor Dan Cabot and intern Melissa Davison contributed reporting for this story.
