HIGH SCORING POLICE WORK: Barnstable patrolman quickly recovers...

HYANNIS – Patrolman Kevin Shaw of the Barnstable Police Department arrived at the Hyannis youth center Tuesday evening to take a report regarding a stolen hockey bag.

He met a 15-year-old lad who had just noticed his hockey bag was missing. Patrolman Shaw also learned the young man had arrived at the skating rink earlier, after riding his electric bicycle all the way in from the town of Sandwich.

The teenage hockey player was still wearing his equipment after finishing a little summer hockey practice. His equipment was still in his possession – thank goodness – however the keys to his electric bike were inside the stolen bag.

He suddenly found himself stuck in Hyannis until his dad arrived to pick him up.

Patrolmen Shaw watched the youth center’s security camera footage and took a cell phone image of the man who had made off with the young man’s hockey bag. Patrolman Shaw didn’t recognize the man but sent the image around to other police officers in hopes someone would recognize him… and it paid off. Another police officer recognized the man and knew where he lived.

“He shoots, he scores!” as they say around the rink.

Their person of interest lives at a Hyannis group home for individuals with mental health disabilities. HN was on scene when Patrolman Shaw spoke with the male subject in question, giving him a chance to come clean. The male suspect did not make much sense but eventually said he had found an empty bag with nobody around it. Shaw, the male subject, and a second police officer entered the group home and were able to recover the missing hockey bag within an hour of it initially being reported stolen.

The male who had allegedly taken the bag was not criminally charged, partially due to his mental health disability, and partially because he, in his current mental state, seemed to believe the bag was abandoned and it was “finders, keepers” in his mind. (Besides, the teen and his dad were not interested in pressing charges, they seemed to understand the situation and just wanted their bag back…)

The bag was transported back to BPD Headquarters to be reunited with its owner, the young hockey player.

HN NOTE: It was, IMHO, a “fine piece of police-work” because the problem was quickly solved using teamwork, technology, good listening/interviewing skills, a bit of common sense and discretion, which ultimately solved the problem.

The keys to the young man’s electric bike were still inside the recovered bag…

… and for split Hytown second, it felt like sweet, swift justice and jubilation!