Anacortes Police blotter dishes out crime information — with a side of humor

For communities across the county, police blotters are one way residents learn about crime happening in their area.

The Anacortes Police Department blotter is no different except it has one notable feature: every few weeks, incidents that are deemed a little silly are added — items that may make people think they belong in a police sitcom.

Brent Lindquist, APD’s community service officer and public information officer, puts together the blotter that details calls police have responded to during a week.

Calls range from behavioral health crises to active criminal investigations and more prominent calls for service.

“It’s an interesting challenge to put together every week because you’re striking a balance,” Lindquist said. “It’s a mix of keeping people informed and keeping people a little bit entertained with the funny stuff.”

On average, APD receives between 20–30 calls a day. It’s Lindquist’s job to distill the week’s happenings into a small list of less than a dozen items for the blotter. Lindquist, a former journalist at the Lynden Tribune, keeps notes of the calls as well as things that come up during briefing meetings. Sometimes, officers come to him with notes about what should go on the blotter.

“I’m not trying to be malicious or make fun of people,” he said. “It’s not really about that … I think the funny stuff is part of what brings people in because there’s the promise that, ‘Maybe I’ll have a laugh here while I’m becoming informed about my city.’”

Animal control calls, whether it be a loose dog or a visit from Elsie Mae the elephant seal, tend to frequent the blotter. Fraud investigations are also added since APD gets near-daily phone calls about someone being scammed. Active investigations or behavioral health calls typically won’t be added.

Overall, Lindquist hopes the blotter encourages people to call the police when they see something suspicious or if they just notice something unusual.

Below are a couple of the wackiest calls for service APD responded to in 2024, as selected by Cascadia Daily News.