Police Blotter: Golden Valley Cops Continue to Shoot Sick Raccoons

Golden Valley Police have had to discharge their weapons seven times, and police say each time it was to shoot and kill a sick raccoon, according to incident reports from Oct. 24 through Nov. 13.

"This is not uncommon for this time of year," said Joanne Paul, crime analyst with the . "These are animals we believe are suffering from distemper, and we're doing the most humane thing possible."

Nicole Wallace, wildlife veterinarian technician with the , said police are doing what they should be.

"There's no curing the distemper in wild animals, and they can spread the disease to our dogs and sometimes our cats, so this is the most humane way to do that that we can tell," she said.

In the last month, police also have dealt with some more serious issues (see the attached incident reports PDF). On Oct. 28, the for a rise in the number of thefts from vehicles, especially in the North Tyrol Hills neighborhood.

Thefts from vehicles remain a concern, but they haven't been concentrated in the North Tyrol area.

• From Oct. 26 through Nov. 13, police investigated 10 thefts from vehicles.

"The investigation in North Tyrol continues, and I'm sure our investigators are looking to see if there are any connections between those (and the more recently reported thefts). But at this time, there are no suspects," Paul said.

Other notes from the Golden Valley Police Department (Oct. 24 - Nov. 13)

• Three forced burglaries:
  
  • (Oct. 24, 3:56 p.m.) 3116 Manor Drive: No one was home, open investigation
  • (Nov. 8, 10:07 a.m.) 2529 Unity Ave. N.: No one home, open investigation
  • (Nov. 9, 5 p.m.) 4440 Tyrol Crest: Police say someone entered the garage and stole a car; open investigation

• 33 of the 37 arrests were traffic-related (See attached Arrests PDF)
  
  • Of the 33, five involved driving while under the influence of alcohol or a drug.