Cops Corner

March 16
Now that’s customer service
2 p.m. — 5200 block of Camphor Avenue. Property Damage. A truck delivering a dumpster to a home accidentally ran over a neighbor’s wooden planter. The neighbor called the business owner, who said to the neighbor: “Go $%*@ yourself.” A sheriff’s deputy called the business owner, who denied talking to the neighbor. The deputy asked the owner to provide his insurance information. The owner said, “That’s not going to happen. My deductible is $2,500. The damage is only worth $10.” The deputy asked him for his name. The owner provided his first name and then hung up. If the owner doesn’t repair the damage, the deputy told the neighbor he could take him to court.

March 17
Teed off
10 a.m. — 1000 block of Azinger Way. Criminal Mischief. A dispute between golfers at a golf course led to car damage and threats of a shooting. The complainant said he and a man who sometimes plays in his foursome got into an argument while playing. Afterward, the complainant discovered his car had been keyed, causing $1,000 worth of damage. Someone had seen the playing partner walking near the car just before it was scratched. Three days later, the playing partner called another member of the foursome and said he was going to shoot people at the golf course. When an officer called him, the man admitted to owning a gun, but denied the threat. He said he was upset, because the men in his golf group have drug problems and are always lying.

Time to job hunt
11:21 a.m. — 1300 block of Main Street. Theft. The owner of a business that is getting ready to open gave his business credit card to an employee to buy three $50 floor mats. The employee called her boss to tell him she was running late, but she never returned to work. He tried calling her at home, but there was no answer. He called the credit-card company and discovered that more than $1,000 was charged to the card.

Low rider
12:14 p.m. — South Tuttle Avenue and Ringling Boulevard. Suspicious Incident. A utility worker called police to say that he was following an elderly driver, who had two flat tires on the driver’s side of his car. The worker tried unsuccessfully to get the man to stop, so, instead, he put on his hazard lights and followed the man down the street. They were going 20 miles an hour down Tuttle Avenue.

Appliance shopping
6:30 p.m. — 4300 block of Murdock Avenue. Petit Theft. The complainant said someone stole his dishwasher from his front yard. A logical question may be: What was the dishwasher doing in the front yard? Answer: The owner was getting ready to scrap it later that week. Trip saved.

Tourist tax
10:38 p.m. — First block of North Lemon Avenue. Purse Snatching. While dining at a bar/restaurant, a woman visiting from out of state left her table to order some drinks. She left her purse on the table, where her friends were sitting.

When she returned, her purse was gone — and so were her friends. They had left the table to mingle in the crowd, leaving the purse unattended. Inside the purse was $600 cash.

Miss Manners
10:40 p.m. — 6500 block of Gateway Avenue. Battery. While on St. Patrick’s Day patrol of the Gulf Gate bars, a deputy saw a woman standing on a street corner with a small cut on her face. He asked her if she was OK. She said another woman punched her. The deputy began to ask her questions, and she became belligerent. The deputy went to the bar and found the other woman, who said she only threw the punch to defend herself. Both women agreed to sign waivers of prosecution, but after the first woman signed it, she crumpled it up and handed back to the deputy. She said she didn’t trust the government.