Law roundup: Kalispell man trashes city over litter

Sick and tired of looking at trash on the ground, a Kalispell resident called emergency dispatchers to let them know that too many people are using the solid waste bins in their alleyway. The garbage often spills over onto the ground and municipal sanitation crews just ignore it. He asked that the city be cited for “dereliction of duty.” Asked who was behind the littering, the caller said simply, “everyone.”

Another resident phoned the Kalispell Police Department after her neighbor’s puppies got out again and bit her and her 9-year-old child in their shared yard. When officers arrived, the woman explained that the bites didn’t break the skin, but she wanted them to speak with the owner of the puppies. Although the owner initially denied the dog bites, she agreed to quarantine the animals for 10 days and get them vaccinated against rabies. 

Officers followed up with the owner of a different dog involved in a bite and learned that the owner had euthanized the pet on her boyfriend’s Kila property. 

Authorities gave another dog owner various suggestions on how to keep their black Labrador retriever on their property, including employing an invisible fence or tying it up, after the canine got out again. They warned her that future jailbreaks could come with citations. 

Officers moved along a pair of homeless people after someone called them in for abusing their dogs. According to the caller, the pets were tied to backpacks and left unattended. When officers arrived, they discovered that the dogs were actually tied to their owners, who were sleeping. They agreed to pack up their belongings and head out.

Annoyed at suddenly finding it difficult to get in and out of his garage because a construction crew working on a nearby home was using the alley as parking, a frazzled commuter turned to the police for help. When he asked the crew to move their dark green truck and trailer, the workers grew rude, he said. Officers checked on the alley and found it clear. 

Relatives worried about an elderly cousin was being taken in by a scam after she announced she had won money and a car despite not entering into any lotteries. The suspected scammers planned to visit her at home and give her a ride to the bank. Officers met with the supposed big winner, who seemed fine and agreed to talk to her relatives.

A resident planning to clean out their mother’s home contacted the police after hearing rumors that neighbors had gone in and out of the house. They asked officers to clear the building before they entered.

An amateur sleuth arrived at the Police Department with information about a home in his neighborhood. He suspected people were running drugs in and out of the building and had learned the identity of one of the individuals. Officers added the house to the hot sheet. 

A caller reported loaning $3,800 to a friend who had since ghosted on her. The situation was later resolved.

Someone turned in their neighbors for possibly being involved in an auto theft ring. The two women and a man often were out taking photos of vehicles in the building’s parking lot at night. Another possible clue was the man’s fashion sense. He “dresses like he shops at Walmart” but owned a nice truck with an 8-inch body lift estimated at about $8,000. “That math just doesn’t add up,” the neighbor told authorities.