REPORT: “HYANNIS DUO ARRESTED ON DRUG TRAFFICKING & FIREARM...

HYANNIS – [HN NOTES] – All sources and indicators are pointing toward a busy summer here locally, which is a great thing, but not without its challenges. And despite the (hopefully fading) pandemic, most local first responders have been consistently busy, earning their pay throughout the entire ordeal; the “ordeal” being a combination of concerns regarding local public health issues combined with a general sense of (hopefully fading) cop hating unrest, mostly beyond our bridges… thankfully…

And recent events locally and nationwide have given rise to a new unusual question which has seemingly been on the tips of everyone’s tongue lately. A question never before asked by so many in my lifetime, at least not to me. Over and over during the past year, I cannot count the number of times people have asked, “Would you want to be a cop these days?” And I also cannot count the number of times I’ve honestly responded, “No!” (Sometimes, “HELL NO!“) In short, I don’t think I could muster the necessary patience these days… and having said that, I don’t know many others who could either. It’s been insane. I’ve watched people yelling and screaming and being outrageously disrespectful, and these new young local cops take it all in stride! Like “no big deal.” It’s amazing to watch. And I’ve never seen anything like it – it’s almost superhuman – patrol officers rising to the new challenges, going far beyond the limits and imperfect patience that would naturally be expected of the average human being. All while exhibiting what I describe as a “general quality of equanimity.” (Composure under pressure.) It’s freaking amazing to watch! And I’ve seen this often lately and it’s very much unlike the “old days…” those days of my own “yute.” (And those of my ilk and generation will appreciate exactly what I’m saying…) And I’m simply amazed with our young cops. I cannot say it enough… It’s as if they have been specifically bred and raised on some special cop farm, way out in the Midwest, maybe Nebraska or way up in North Dakota… someplace isolated and deafening quiet, conducive to superhuman training exercises for the mind, including ancient – never before released – experimental meditation techniques taught by advanced lifeforms from another planet. A top secret extraterrestrial-taught cop farm for this new special generation of yogi-like/bodhisattva cops assigned to these virtually impossible times…

Am I being sincere? Am I for real, you ask? …hey, I just know I couldn’t do their job these days, and I’ll just leave it at that.

For the most part, and in short, we are very blessed with this new generation of hard working, compassionate and caring cops here locally. I’m proud of them. And it’s a good thing. And as summer brings more and more visitors with their own unique safety and security needs, our own indigenous crime issues are also expected to continue, possibly increase… and I pray our special young officers get the community support and unwavering leadership they need.

As civilians, we rightfully expect a lot from these young men and women, who we extend forward to represent our community as police officers… a historically impossible assignment… but now even more so.

And at the heart of the matter is this ongoing problem of dangerous drugs and the reckless – too often life-snatching – byproducts of drug and alcohol abuse.

And in the background – because they need to be somewhat clandestine, at least to some degree – there are also drug enforcement agents and local detectives trying to stop the insanity in their own way, doing their best to eradicate the flow of these deadlier and deadlier poisons, falsely sold as “recreational drugs.”

I hate these life-snatching drugs, along with their sale… and I cannot quantify the related damage and death I’ve witnessed over the years.

These are my informed opinions based on what I have observed on our streets throughout the years – take them or leave them. Scroll past them… whatever… but as a community we need to put forth and support a highly capable and professional new breed of law enforcement officer for these extraordinary times. Officers that will continue to save lives on a daily basis. On a daily basis! I’ve literally witnessed lives being saved on a daily basis… Lives being saved! Every day… Across the entire Cape… Dedicated police and firefighters, technically on and off-duty… putting it all on the line to save lives…

… while too often subjected to a barrage of misguided, misinformed disrespect. The disrespect is irrational and it’s sad.

I’ve been asked, “Would you want to be a cop these days?” Let me turn that question around to everyone reading this…

“Would you?”

(Anyways, that’s my informed opinion on the matter…)

The following is the actual BPD media statement, released yesterday:

On Friday May 7, 2021, as a result of a four month narcotics investigation by members of the Barnstable Police Detective Unit and the Drug Enforcement Agency Cape Cod Task Force; 29 year old Robert “Bookie” Perry and 30 year old Leslie Ostapchuck, both of Hyannis, were taken into custody on firearms and narcotics charges. Members of the Cape Cod Regional SWAT Team assisted in the execution of the search warrant at Perry and Ostapchuck’s residence Friday morning due to both of their criminal histories involving narcotics and weapons violations. Barnstable Police and Barnstable County Sheriff’s narcotic detection K-9’s were deployed to assist in the search of the premises. As a result of the search warrant 58 grams of Fentanyl, 26 grams of Cocaine, a .45 caliber handgun with a large capacity magazine, and a large sum of monies were seized. Perry was held on $25,000 bail and Ostapchuck was held on $10,000 bail; both were held at the Barnstable Police Department and will be arraigned at Barnstable District Court Monday May 10, 2021.

Both Perry and Ostapchuck are being charged with Trafficking class A substance 36-100 grams (Fentanyl), Trafficking class B substance 18-36 grams (Cocaine), Conspiracy to violate the controlled substance act, Possession of a firearm w/out a license to carry, Possession of ammunition, Possession of a large capacity feeding device. Perry is also being charged with Armed career criminal due to narcotic distribution convictions in 2013 and 2018.

* All suspects are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

P.S. – Today’s Hytown Vignette is brought to you by Steely Dan… [CLICK IT/CRANK IT!]