One of the most highly read items in the Whidbey News-Times has historically been “Island Scanner,” which is a collection of 911 calls to either the Island County Sheriff’s Office or Oak Harbor Police Department.
We often hear grumbling from loyal readers when one hasn’t published in awhile. Trust us, given the its popularity, we try to run Island Scanner as often as possible.
Island residents aren’t the only ones interested in the Whidbey 911 calls. There’s a radio station in Bellingham that reads News-Times’ Scanner items on the air. There was also a Facebook page dedicated to it.
It’s easy to understand why it’s so popular. People call 911 for a lot of interesting or downright zany reasons.
“A caller reported a bunny in the backyard was looking at him funny.” “A driver reported that a shirtless man playing a guitar was blocking traffic.” “A man reported someone stole all his pants.” “A man in a kilt is exposing himself downtown.”
For some reason, many people in Oak Harbor call the police to report their animal concerns. There’s the usual loud dogs and puppies on the loose, but also many errant wild animals.
Raccoons seem to be especially troublesome.
Beyond its entertainment value, the Scanner has a purpose. It gives residents a glimpse into what’s happening in their community. Perhaps there was a burglary in the neighborhood, or you were wondering why fire trucks or police cruisers were in your neighborhood.
Island Scanner readers will see the trends in town, like the dramatic increase over the years in the calls about “transients” and panhandlers in the areas of Safeway and Walmart. It also lets the community see the challenges that their police force faces, from domestic violence situations to people in the midst of mental health crises.
Over the years, some people expressed confusion about exactly what the Scanner is, some even suggested that the reports are somehow “massaged” by reporters.
The truth is, we couldn’t make that stuff up even if we tried.
Earlier this month, Oak Harbor City Councilman Joel Servatius took exception to a letter to the editor chiding people for calling 911 for bogus reasons.
Servatius said, and correctly we might add, that people shouldn’t hesitate to make that call to 911, even if it’s just to create a record of a problem. If police get enough calls about something — even if it’s not worth responding with their lights flashing and sirens wailing — they’ll know it’s an issue within the community.
Perhaps there is a serious problem with raccoons in the city, for example — they could be plotting something nefarious.
If in doubt, call 911 — using good-old fashioned common sense, of course.
