Let’s take a look at Feb. 3, 2010, which was a Wednesday

Hi, there. It’s nice to be back from vacation. I understand you had a little bit of wet weather while I was away. I’m sure it was nothing much and you handled it like true New Englanders. Well, every now and then I like to randomly take one 24-hour period and give you an array of reports showing that truly berserk things can get out in the streets in a short period of time. Let’s go with Feb. 3, 2010, a Wednesday no less. Not a weekend, not a holiday, a blah middle of the week Wednesday.

February 3, 1:30 a.m.
Officers Chevrette and Collins were diligently patrolling the Neponset Circle area (because of recent car breaks) when they observed a dark colored vehicle parked and running on Bowman Street with all the doors open and two men standing outside the car. The officers turned around and drove onto Bowman Street to find the suspect’s vehicle gone but a second car parked atop two milk crates with the lug nuts removed from the tires. The officers quickly drove to Neponset Circle and over the bridge in an attempt to catch up to the suspect’s vehicle, which they eventually did on Hancock Street in Quincy. The driver was a 20-year-old Dorchester dunce, his partner in crime was a 21-year-old Roslindale runt who insisted that he wasn’t trying to steal tires, until a couple of lug nuts were found in his coat pocket. To his credit he didn’t try to explain them away. Both were charged with four different felonies.

February 3, 2:16 a.m.
This time it was Officers Nee and Richardson who were on routine patrol in the area of Crescent Avenue when they observed a white Subaru running and parked illegally on Buttonwood Street. When the officers approached the car, the lone occupant exited the vehicle and tried to walk away but he was soon stopped. First, he said, “I’m just waiting for my friend in the yellow house.” What yellow house? Then he said, “I don’t have a license and I don’t know who owns it.” Really, sport, that may explain the popped ignition. But determined to dig his grave a little deeper, he said, “I only borrowed it in Braintree and I was just about to bring it back!” Isn’t that the way, just when his conscience got the better of him and he was gonna do the right thing the damn cops catch him. Now would you like to explain the stolen GPS and cell phone on the front seat. Hello? No comment. The 23-year-old Boston man was charged with receiving a stolen motor vehicle and stolen property.

February 3, 11:20 a.m.
Neighbors looking out for neighbors, a wonderful thing. Officers responded en masse to a Wrentham Street address for a report of a man breaking into a home. On arrival Officer Goff approached the home from a rear yard and observed a man who matched the suspect’s description hiding behind a front yard fence. The caller stated that he had observed the suspect looking into the victim’s mailbox, windows, and then standing atop a trash recycle bin attempting to force the window open. The suspect insisted that he was merely looking for a place to urinate. In the mailbox, dude, seriously! The officers recovered a large knife and a heavy-duty garbage bag from the suspect, a 26-year-old from Gloucester. The suspect was charged with attempted breaking and entering and being from Gloucester. Well, it should be a law.

February 3, 3:21 p.m.
Four hours and three blocks later a gentleman from St. Mark’s Road observed a young man break into his car and steal his GPS system. The victim gave the 911 operator a good suspect description and the last direction of flight and a minute later he was stopped on Lonsdale Street in possession of a GPS system, which, of course, he claimed was his, but when the ‘home’ button on the GPS was pushed the victim’s home address came up. The 18-year-old from Newton was arrested for breaking and entering a motor vehicle. NEWTON! First it was Gloucester, then Newton. No wonder their crime rates are so low if their criminals come to Dorchester to commit their larcenies.

February 3, 4:36 p.m.
The C-11 Drug Control Unit served a search warrant on a Howe Terrace apartment and recovered 16 bags of marijuana, a Sig Sauer .45 caliber firearm loaded with six rounds, a Keltec 9mm pistol loaded with 10 rounds, a .357 Magnum loaded with six rounds, and a box of 50 rounds. The 37-year-old occupant was arrested on numerous charges. Now that is what I call a full day.

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I just realized that today is my 27th wedding anniversary. Boy, am I in trouble.