The Island Blotter

A San Juan deputy responded to a suspicious circumstance, made contact with the reporting party, and determined that the situation was either resolved or just really mundane.

A Lopez resident requested a welfare check on a young child; the deputy confirmed the child and parent were doing fine and referred the case to Child Protective Services for proper follow-up.

An Orcas deputy lent a hand to assist another agency in Eastsound.

A local driver on Mud Bay Road found out that doing 55 in a 35 isn't just a suggestion—it's a citation.

A Lopez deputy answered the call to assist another agency, because inter-agency teamwork makes the dream work.

A suspicious circumstance in the San Juan Island area turned out to be exactly that: suspicious enough to warrant a call, and a deputy was on it.

A hit-and-run in Friday Harbor left one vehicle feeling abandoned—deputies took a report and are now on the case to find out who ghosted the scene.

A Lopez Island motorist discovered that doing 42 in a 25 is a great way to get a citation and a strong talking-to about the number system.

Two vessel owners on a county dock learned the hard way that "properly permitted" is not optional, despite their best improvisation.

A vessel decided the Eastsound County Dock was so nice, it wanted to stay permanently—unfortunately, day-use-only docks are like bad relationships: you've got to leave eventually, especially after 90 days of anchoring. The vessel received citations for both its refusal to vacate and its commitment issues.

A threat involving two inmates at the San Juan County jail was investigated, the feuding cellmates were separated, and the case was forwarded to a detective—because apparently even people serving time can't resist a little conflict.

A new island resident was spotted engaging in suspicious behavior, which on a small island could mean anything from "parked at an unusual angle" to "made eye contact for too long." An informational report was taken for future reference.

The male suspect was arrested and booked into Friday Harbor jail, proving that crime on a small island has nowhere to hide—literally.

While detained at the Sheriff's Office, the juvenile suspect attempted an escape and was promptly caught—proving that the only thing shorter than their stay was their sprint.

A civil dispute over property access in the San Juan Island area was resolved when both parties agreed to take their disagreement to court and maintain a respectful distance—a mature decision that saved everyone from an awkward island.

A Friday Harbor business became an unwilling knife storage facility when a transient asked them to hold his blade, so a deputy graciously offered to provide permanent custody.

A driver on Olga Road learned that one moving violation is a mistake, but multiple infractions is a collection hobby.

Local property owner successfully retrieved their belongings after the Sheriff's Office played real-estate detective and arranged the hand-off.

A Friday Harbor deputy received a report of found property, and the owner subsequently made contact—case closed, property found, everyone goes home happy.

A Lopez juvenile driver learned an important lesson about school bus stop paddles: when they're up, you stay down—at least stopped—after being cited for passing an active school bus.

A found Canon Powershot came in with more concrete evidence than most of our cases—literally. We played detective with the memory card, spotted a cement truck logo, and tracked down the owner faster than you can say "photo recovery."

Apparently this one got cut off mid-incident, but we're guessing it also involved someone who didn't get the memo about designated camping zones.

A deputy discovered a gentleman practicing his "rough sleeping" skills behind a Friday Harbor business—turns out the only thing he was building was a case for relocating to an actual campsite.

A Friday Harbor resident brought a found bicycle to the Sheriff's Office, proving that at least one person on the island knows how to bike-cycle their good deeds back into the community.

Local scammers are really upping their game—they're now calling with fake arrest warrants and asking for bail money via bank transfer. Pro tip: real law enforcement won't threaten you over the phone and demand payment to your personal account, so if you get this call, just hang up and call the Sheriff's Office instead.