The Crimes of Jess, According to the Town Meeting

Stole money from the bridge fundraising jar (money was returned)

Stole a gnome from Babette (gnome was returned)

Hooted one of Miss Patty’s dance classes (it’s not really clear if he hooted a horn or hooted in derision, either way, they’re just little girls, so kind of yuck)

Stole a hose from Fran’s front yard (was this payback for refusing to sell her inn to Rory’s mother?)

Set off all the fire alarms at the high school

Drew a chalk outline outside Doose’s Market so that Taylor lost business

The viewer might be getting the impression that Jess, although clearly a pest and a nuisance around town, is hardly committing any major acts of villainy. For some reason, the police don’t seem to be getting involved, even for petty theft, misuse of a fire alarm, or vandalism, and perhaps this lack of police action is one of the things fuelling the town’s frustration. It may also be spurring Jess on to further mischief, if he’s mostly doing this for attention or to prove he’s a “bad boy” so he’ll be sent back to his mother.