They serve and protect.....

They serve and protect; the members of the Buffalo Grove Police Department.

Sometimes I wonder how they do with a straight face.

Really.  For example, these gems from the blotter:

Quieter brush needed?  A resident recently called police to complain about a neighbor who was making too much noise – closing a can of paint.  Apparently there is an ordinance about construction noise – but nothing governing paint cans.

Truth in advertising..A resident contact police expressing concern about someone holding sign which read “will work for food.” 

Ill-advised statement..A resident who was distraught because a man was holding a picture of President Obama dressed as Adolf Hitler at a busy intersection summoned police to complain.  The man holding the sign told police he had First Amendment rights to do so.  But at rush hour?

Mobile home in the truest sense…A resident called police to report a suspicious vehicle.  When police approached the vehicle, a van, the occupant allegedly told responding officers that he lived in the van so he does not have to pay rent and was looking for a level parking spot.  Make sense, don’t you just hate it when your home tilts?

Vicious dog? Police had a report of a run-away schnauzer.  Really.  Check your milk cartons – or maybe Alpo cans.

Vicious dog, part 2 -- Police responded to a complaint of an aggressive dog at the Happy Tails Dog Park.  The dog’s owner, from Wheeling, was asked to control her dog.  Guess Wheeling didn’t want her either.

Say cheese? Someone called police because a person was taking pictures of a parked truck.  Seriously.

Really? Buffalo Grove police were contacted because customers at a local business were upset by a patron’s odor.  Seriously.  He must have been at the dog park.

Some things just need common sense…

We’ll just be a moment.  It’s not unusual for police to get a call from a resident who has been a theft victim after letting a "vendor", who just happened to stop by, into their house. There’s a lesson here – if you haven’t asked someone to your house, don’t let them in.  If someone claims to be an inspector, have them wait outside while you verify their validity.  Odds are they won’t be there when you come back.

If it sounds too good… Seldom has a week gone by when police do not report complaints of suspicious phone calls.  Callers claim to be investigators, collection agencies, Publisher’s Clearing House and a litany of other strange operations.   

Sensible suggestion.  Police frequently respond to calls about thefts from motor vehicles.  More often than not, the owner reports that the vehicle was left unlocked.  There’s a hint here.  Leaving valuables in your car?  Leaving your car outside?  Lock it.