Sgt. Paul Westlund in his patrol car on his last day.
The end of 2023 saw two retirements from the Lincoln Police Department: Chief Kevin Kennedy and Sgt. Paul Westlund, who was officially signed out by Kennedy via radio for his final shift on December 27 after 23 years of service (see the video on both Facebook or Instagram).
Kennedy himself got the same recognition when he went off duty for the last time on December 15 — see a video on Facebook, and a photo and a note from him on Instagram. Kennedy served the Lincoln Police Department for 31 years and was named chief in 2014.
Retiring Police Chief Kevin Kennedy.
December 23
Minebrook Road (11:30 a.m.) — A caller reported that their dog was attacked by another while walking trails close to their residence. An officer responded and was able to identify all parties involved. The Animal Control Officer was notified.
Indian Camp Lane (2:36 p.m.) — A caller reported a family member had been missing for approximately 30 minutes. Police and fire resources responded to the scene. The missing individual was safely located a short time later.
Bedford Road (11:15 p.m.) — A caller requested an officer respond to their residence for an ongoing matter.
December 24
Lincoln Road (6:06 p.m.) — An individual called to speak with an officer regarding a previous incident.
Spruce Hill Road, Weston (7:33 p.m.) — Weston police called for mutual aid assistance for a check on a suspicious motor vehicle parked in their town. A Lincoln officer responded.
December 25
Tower Road (4:50 p.m.) — A caller requested a response to their residence. An officer responded and checked the property.
Giles Road (8:14 p.m.) — An officer responded to a residence to assist the homeowner.
December 26
The Commons of Lincoln (4:49 p.m.) — A caller requested to speak with an officer regarding a possible fraud.
Lexington Road (2:45 p.m.) — An officer followed up on a past altercation at the Lexington Road Cemetery.
December 27
Longmeadow Road (2:48 p.m.) — A caller reported their vehicle was struck while parked at the mall but they didn’t notice the damage until they returned home. An officer responded and took a report.
December 28
Moccasin Hill (1:13 p.m.) — Parties requested an officer’s presence for the signing of documents.
Meadowdam Road (4:33 p.m.) — A caller asked to speak with an officer about being the victim of a possible scam.
Concord Road (4:49 p.m.) — A two-vehicle crash occurred when a vehicle attempting to turn left onto Route 117 was struck from behind by a vehicle attempting to travel straight on Route 126. There were no reported injuries and both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.
December 29
Bypass Road (1:30 a.m.) — An officer spoke to several individuals regarding a landlord/tenant dispute.
Virginia Road (11:27 a.m.) — The Council on Aging and Human Services requested a well-being check on a resident. Officers checked the residence but the person no longer resides at the provided address.
Trapelo Road (2:28 p.m.) — A caller reported seeing a dog run into the roadway then run back into a yard on Trapelo Road. The caller was advised that there is no leash law but took note should a dog be reported missing.
South Great Road (7:12 p.m.) — A caller reported that the railroad gates were stuck down at the Route 117 crossing. An officer responded and observed that the gates appeared to be working without issue. The MBTA and Keolis were notified of the apparent malfunction.
Wells Road (8:14 p.m.) — The Fire Department responded for an odor of natural gas coming from the roadway. The Fire Department metered the area and detected normal readings. National Grid was notified.
December 30
Nothing of note.
December 31
First responders helped an injured hiker on Mt. Misery. (Photo courtesy Lincoln Fire Department Instagram page)
Fire Department personnel rescued a hiker on Mt Misery who had injured their leg. They were removed from the woods using their specialized ATV rescue setup. The patient was then transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
(Editor’s note: for reasons of patient privacy, the Lincoln Squirrel normally does not report on medical-related calls logged by the Police and Fire Departments, but this incident was reported by the Fire Department on their Instagram page.)
January 1
Lincoln Road (6:11 p.m.) — A walk-in at the police station reported the railroad gates at Lincoln Road were repeatedly going up and down without a train passing through. An officer responded to monitor. Keolis was notified.