Members of IBPO Local 515 in Sandwich, Massachusetts pride themselves on the high quality of service and protection they provide to the residents of their Cape Cod town. But when a brazen thief stole several trout from the town’s fish hatchery, the cops ran into a problem: handcuffs don’t fit harbor seals.

The female seal, estimated to be about 3 feet long, 40 pounds and less than a year old, found her way about two miles inland from the boardwalk area and through creek land to reach the Sandwich Hatchery on January 6. “She had to go through the mini-golf course and under Route 6A to get to the hatchery,” said Officer Michael Hoadley, president of Local 515. “That’s quite a trip.”

Police aren’t sure how many 4-pound trout the culprit consumed before wildlife experts captured the seal, who was tagged and released on the other side of the Cape so that she wouldn’t return for a follow-up fishy felony.

“As far as we’re concerned, she was released without bail and her case has been continued without a finding,” Ofc. Hoadley chuckled.

For a view of the thief in action and her eventual capture and release, you can watch the video from the Cape Cod Times.