- December 23, 2024
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Jacket required
8:35 a.m., off the key
Boat: An officer performed a stop on a paddleboarder without a personal floatation device. A verbal warning was issued.
Caught
9:23 a.m., 500 block of Broadway Street
Traffic: A police officer watching for speeders in Longbeach Village noticed a car heading west at a speed that appeared higher than the 20 mph limit. Radar confirmed his suspicions with a reading of 36 mph. The driver was issued a ticket.
Watery speed
10:45 a.m., Off the key
Boat: While working with volunteers cleaning trash on Sister Keys, a marine patrol officer spotted a pair of boats approaching from the south in the Intracoastal Waterway. One was proceeding at about 25-30 mph and a second was attemping to overtake in a 25 mph zone. The officer activated his boat’s blue lights, which resulted in both craft slowing down. The speedier of the two accelerated once past the police boat, but still in the 25 mph zone. The officer performed a stop and did a safety check of the boat, while also issuing a verbal warning for speed.
Just visiting
11:44 a.m., 100 block of Palmetto Avenue
Parking: A tourist from out of the country received a verbal warning after a police officer spotted his car parked illegally at a beach access point. The man said he was unloading paddleboards for the beach.
Too close
12:11 p.m., 600 block of Broadway Street
Parking: An out-of-town vehicle was ticketed for parking within 50 feet of an intersection. A second vehicle was ticketed not far away for the same violation, less than 10 minutes later. Less than four hours later, another car was ticketed for the same violation in the same general area.
Too many numbers
9:57 p.m., 500 block of Yawl Lane
Alarm: A police officer responded to a report of an activated intruder alarm. The resident told the officer she owns four homes and couldn’t immediately remember the alarm code.
Holiday tidings
10:37 p.m., 700 block of Broadway Street
Public service: Concerned about a possible pipe break, a resident called police to report water on his neighborhood street. An officer reported seeing no evidence of a water-main issue. The water was likely because of higher-than-normal tides in nearby Sarasota Bay backing up through storm drains.
Moving on
11:04 p.m., Poinsetta and Russell streets
Parking: While on patrol, an officer spoke to the driver of a camper with Quebec plates about the town’s prohibition on overnight parking. The driver, who spoke little English, was issued a verbal warning and drove off.
Fired up
2:12 a.m., 200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Suspicious vehicle: An officer spotted a vehicle within the gates of Overlook Park after hours and spoke to two people nearby, explaining they were in violation of town rules regulating park hours. The officer also reported smelling marijuana smoke. The two people said they were finished smoking, and no contraband was found. They said they would catch a ride-sharing service to return home to the mainland. No criminal charges were indicated through a national database search.
Mother Nature: Guilty as charged
7:23 a.m., 1500 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Property damage: A caller from a condo community called police to report overnight damage to three patio umbrellas and an iron fence. The officer determined the damage was caused by wind, and a report was filed for future reference.
Lost and not yet found
11:07 a.m., police headquarters
Lost property: A police officer met a resident who wanted to report a lost wallet. The resident said he had searched his home without finding it, but wasn’t sure where the wallet might have gone missing. Past reports were checked for found wallets, with negative results.
Car, and warning, delivered
1:35 p.m., 4200 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Traffic: A car hauler was found parked in the safety lane of Gulf of Mexico Drive. The driver was issued a written warning and left the area without incident.
On the loose
3:32 p.m., 700 block of Longboat Court
Animal: Police received a report of a loose dog frightening a pedestrian. An officer spoke to the dog’s owner, who said the pet slipped away while putting on a leash. The officer issued the dog owner a verbal warning.
No serious injuries
11:05 a.m., 7000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Rescue: Police were sent to the scene of a bicycle crash. An officer arrived to find a rider on the sidewalk, with a minor facial bruise. Fire-rescue personnel checked over the rider and found no serious injuries.
Who was that guy?
7:42 p.m., 600 block of Weston Pointe Court
Suspicious vehicle: A resident called to report a sedan idling in a cul-de-sac. After about 10 minutes, a man stepped out of the white four-door and walked up to a home, then returned to the vehicle and drove off. The home was checked and showed no signs of an attempted break-in.
It happens
9:32 p.m., 2100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Disturbance: Police talked to both sides of a disturbance involving a loose dog that relieved itself in front of a condo. The caller said the dog was off the leash at the time. The two people with the dog said the dog got off the leash accidentally, but they cleaned the mess. The officer told the parties to stay away from each other and to refer to their condo management to help settle the conflict if needed.
Holy cow!
7:36 a.m., 600 block of Bay Isles Parkway
Highway obstruction: An officer was sent to check out a report of a manhole cover halfway in the opening and sticking out into the road. The officer secured the manhole cover properly. Later in the day, a person came to the police station to report minor car damage done by the manhole cover, which was at the intersection of Bay Isles Parkway and Bay Isles Road. Ultimately, it was determined that the incident took place on private property and was not the responsibility of the town.
Off the job
9:53 p.m., 1400 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive
Missing animal: A caller reported her service dog jumped out of her vehicle window and was missing. As an officer arrived, he learned the dog had been found nearby. The caller was informed and came to pick up the dog.