Peabody officers report infractions
Peabody Police Chief Jeff Pohlman was gratified to receive an anonymous tip from a citizen Feb. 18 that led to the arrest of Robert Welsh for possession of marijuana, possession of methampetamines, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
"This was kind of a break for us," said Pohlman. "It shows that the citizens are the eyes of community and can help us out when they see something suspicious."
"We want people to know that we really appreciate their involvement. We can't be everywhere," he added. "If they are willing to call in, the officers can do so much more to crack down on offenders."
He cautioned that not every call will lead to an arrest as this one did, but Peabody residents can make a difference if they just contact the police when they see something suspicious.
"In this case, someone saw an individual smoking what he thought was marijuana in a vehicle and made an anonymous call to the police," said Pohlman. "I checked the vehicle out, saw drug paraphernalia in plain view in the car, and contacted Sergeant Soyez to bring the drug dog. There was no one around the vehicle, but we were able to find the owner."
Welsh was arrested and booked into the Marion County jail on the above charges.
A juvenile was arrested Feb. 14 for possession of marijuana, possession of alcohol, and possession of tobacco products by a minor. The arrest was made after a routine search by drug dogs at Peabody-Burns High School.
Pohlman noted that the search at the school was part of an ongoing procedure. "We arbitrarily pick a day and show up with the dogs," he said. "We search inside and out — lockers, cars in the parking lot, everything."
Peabody police also executed a search warrant on Feb. 15 at 305 Spruce in Peabody and arrested Valerie Davis on charges of possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamines, and drug paraphernalia. Davis was booked into Marion County Jail.
Officers responded to a call Saturday of a possible burglary attempt on the medication room at Legacy Park long term care facility. The suspect fled before police could arrive. An investigation is continuing.
