Crime & Safety

Police Keep Moose Off Broadway Using Fortune, 'Prayer'

Four Salem officers were recently able to safely resolve an uncommon type of issue, even though they had "nothing" to help them.

Salem police officers were met with an interesting challenge along Route 28 Tuesday night, although luckily for the officers it wasn't the first time the department has dealt with the type of call they encountered.

A large moose wandered on the Grand Turf Depot property at 288 North Broadway around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, and officers in the area were concerned that the moose might create a traffic hazard should it decide to try and cross the busy street.

Deputy Police Chief Shawn Patten said his officers have dealt with similar calls in the past "five to 10 years," although he said a moose "running around" Route 28 is not exactly a "common" type of police call. Tuesday's encounter ended on a positive note, though, as officers didn't have to use force to prevent it from entering traffic and neither the officers or moose was harmed before the moose headed back into the woods near Lake Street.

When asked if the department has any special equipment or techniques to help them on calls involving moose —which if defensive can be difficult to corral and can be fairly destructive — Patten said they have "nothing."

"They prayed," said Patten of the officers who responded Tuesday.

Patten said it was fortunate that the moose went back into the woods, although his department was prepared to shut down Route 28 and help the moose cross safely had it come to it.

"We certainly are unequipped to catch a moose, that's for sure," said Patten. "We can't hold him or restrain him. We just try to let him get safely to where he's going. It's a whole different ballgame [if the public appears to be in danger].

"As long as we let him do his business and let him run around, generally in our experience they don't bother anybody. Fortunately, in this case he went on and did his business."


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