Law roundup: Shoplifter tries old con on for size

Putting on an old con for size, a would-be shoplifter tried to swap her outfit for new threads in the changing room of a store. Employees unraveled the scheme and kept her on layaway until the Kalispell Police Department could send officers to the location. They reported that she needled them but otherwise was compliant until the authorities arrived. Officers let her know she was no longer welcome in the store and moved her off the property.

Upset at having to pay for parking at a lot near the county fairgrounds, a motorist got into an argument with another person. The irate motorist argued that because the lot was attached to a federal building, no fee for parking could be charged. He eventually moved to a different parking lot and agreed to stay away from the federal property for a day.  

Officers cited a motorist for driving with a suspended license.  

After hearing from neighbors about possible drug activity at an apartment building he owned, a landlord phoned the police to see what could be done about it. When officers met up with the property owner, he explained that surveillance cameras caught lots of foot traffic late at night. At least one set of tenants had been evicted and the landlord wanted to evict other renters but not if the Police Department was investigating them for drugs.  

When a woman approached her son and told him to stop playing on some rocks or she would call the police, a mother dialed 911 herself. She told dispatchers that the other woman was snapping photos of her son and officers didn't come soon they'd be carting her off to the county jail. The two women were arguing when the police arrived and officers separated them and told them to keep away from one another. Both were given instructions on how to secure a restraining order.  

An employee asked the police to let a quartet of people know they were no longer welcome on the firm's premises. The two men in the group were making a scene, refusing to leave, screaming and kicking items, the employee said.  

Spotting a man with a pair of handcuffs in his back pocket rifling through a parked car, a passerby alerted the authorities. 

Officers unsuccessfully tried to track down two dogs reportedly running wild and free. 

A motorist given a citation called the Police Department to contest the charge, telling them that he wasn't driving the vehicle. Officers let him know they already had him on lying to law enforcement during the stop and continuing to make false claims would come with consequences. He was directed to take it up with the court.