VERGENNES — Vergennes police are investigating a fraud case that they said began with a June 12 phone call to a Main Street resident from a man posing as a police officer who informed a resident that a Social Security number had been compromised. Police said the caller then persuaded the resident to send about $2,400 in gift debit cards to him.
As always, police advised residents not to send any money or to reveal any personal information to unknown phone callers, and to report such calls promptly. 
Between June 10 and 16 police also conducted eight more special patrols throughout the city intended to enhance traffic safety, issuing one warning and writing four tickets. During that week they also continued to step up foot patrols, and found one unlocked business door on June 12, and on June 11 found a man sleeping in a car behind a Panton Road business, but determined there was no ill intent. 
In other incidents during those seven days, Vergennes police:
On June 11 helped Northlands Job Corps security deal with a student who had been drinking; because the student was of age police did not take any enforcement action.
On June 12:
•Helped Vermont State Police at a Route 7 accident scene.
•Responded to a complaint of a delivery truck blocking traffic on South Water Street; it was gone when they arrived.
•Dealt with a minor two-car accident on New Haven Road.
•When a woman who said she was in an abusive relationship came into the station, gave her information on how to get help. 
•Checked on the welfare of a man who had been sitting in a car in Falls Park for hours; he agreed to go with the Vergennes Area Rescue Squad to Porter Hospital for counseling to deal with a crisis. 
•Stood by while a man going through a break-up retrieved belongings from a Monkton Road residence; police helped him again on June 14. 
•Talked to a distraught woman who had parked behind a vacant city business and said she had left home after a family dispute; police worked by phone to calm all parties.
On June 14 
•Early in the morning worked with city firefighters and VARS personnel, 15 people in all, to find an elderly man with dementia who was missing from a First Street home. Police said a firefighter found the missing man in nearby woods after a little more than an hour.
•Dealt with a parking problem near the East Street skate park.
•Helped state police by dealing with a two-car accident with injuries at the intersection of Routes 7 and 22A.
On June 15 responded along with VARS to help a woman who was reported to be feeling suicidal at the John Graham Shelter; VARS took her to Porter Hospital to meet with a counselor.
On June 16:
•Issued diversion paperwork to a minor for driving with an open container of marijuana in a car, an action taken after a Route 22A traffic stop that followed an alert for erratic driving on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh. 
•Cited a juvenile female Northlands student for domestic assault for allegedly attacking another female student, causing a bloody nose and injured hand. Police said they issued the citation for domestic assault because the students lived in the same dormitory.