Cops Corner: Longboat Key

Dec. 7
Back-door approach
3:46 p.m. — 300 block of GMD. Soliciting. Police responded to a report of a man soliciting for magazine subscriptions in a condominium complex and noticed that an occupant of a burgundy van parked nearby matched the description of the man. The condominium security guard expressed concern about the man’s sales tactics because the man did not enter the property through the front gate. The driver of the van told police that he was responsible for transporting solicitors to different locations and received a written warning.

Technical matter
5:03 p.m. — 4800 block of GMD. Ordinance Violation. Police received a complaint about construction work being done after 5 p.m. Police found that the workers were putting tools in a storage shed but were not physically using the tools.

Subscription solicitation
5:42 p.m. — Intersection of GMD and Buttonwood Drive. Soliciting. Two women told police that they work for a company that solicits magazine subscriptions for various organizations. The women received a written warning and were taken to the police station because of weather and safety concerns, where they stayed until their ride arrived.

Dec. 8
Missing wallet
1:25 p.m. — 500 block of Wedge Lane. Missing Property. A man reported that his wallet, which contained $380 cash, his driver’s license and Social Security card, was last seen on the car seat of his unlocked truck.

The bone collector
4:42 p.m. — 200 block of Sands Point Road. Suspicious Circumstance. A man found six small bones on the beach. He thought they were pig bones used in crab traps but wanted to have them checked out by police.

Lost and found: boat edition
5:05 p.m. — 700 block of Old Compass Road. Unsecured Boat. A man reported that he towed a barge and push boat to his dock to secure the vessels after seeing them adrift in the canal behind his home. Police were unable to locate the owner of either vessel immediately.

Dec. 9
Gas leak
12:14 p.m. — 3500 block of Fair Oaks Lane. Gas Leak. Police responded to a report of a natural-gas smell. Firefighters were unable to find the source and shut off the gas meter at the house.

Clothes call
8:40 p.m. — 500 block of Schooner Lane. Suspicious Circumstance. A woman said that she found a utility knife on the floor of her vacation rental home’s bedroom closet after she returned home from grocery shopping. The woman told police that her clothes had been moved around but nothing was missing. Police found no signs of forced entry.

Dec. 9
Gated community
2:10 a.m. — 4000 block of GMD. Security Check. Police found the rear gate of a business unlocked and open. Dispatch located the key holder who asked police to shut it and said he would check the area in the morning.

Dec. 10
After thought
12:24 a.m. — Intersection of GMD and Ketch Lane. Traffic Violation. A man told police he “kind of thought” his driver’s license was suspended after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car. Police “kind of thought” that was cause for arrest.

Rock a little softer
10:42 p.m. — 4000 block of GMD. Code Enforcement. A man who was hosting a party with a live band agreed to keep the music down after police received a complaint.

Double trouble
11 p.m. — Longboat Pass Bridge. Traffic Violation. Police stopped a vehicle after finding that its owner did not have a valid driver’s license. The driver was not the vehicle’s owner but also didn’t have a valid license. The driver was arrested and received a notice to appear in Manatee County Court.

Dec. 11
Broken belt
10:31 a.m. — 2700 block of GMD. Suspicious Circumstance. A Public Works employee helped police shut down a pump after it overheated. Police later noticed that a belt on the engine was broken.

Dec. 12
Bright idea
11:35 p.m. — 1900 block of GMD. Bicycle Incident. Police made contact with a bicyclist to tell him that his black clothing, black hat and lack of a headlight or taillight made it difficult for others to see him.

Dec. 13
This isn’t a dry town
5:11 p.m. — 600 block of Buttonwood Drive. Disturbance. A couple reported that their neighbor hung small towels on their fence. Police spoke to the neighbor, who agreed not to hang the towels on the fence.

Lock ’em up
10:37 p.m. — 100 block of Broadway. Vehicle Larceny. An Arizona woman reported that her laptop was missing from her rental car. The woman told police that she might have forgotten to lock the vehicle that afternoon at the beach.

Dec. 14
Wake-up call
12:46 a.m. — 4800 block of GMD. Disturbance. A taxi driver called police after a man passed out in his vehicle. The man had prepaid for his ride home from a Sarasota bar. Police woke the man and helped him to his room.

Probable cause?
1:09 a.m. — 6800 block of Hughes Street. Public Service. A woman heard strange noises in her yard. She first described them as wind chimes but later said they might have been the work of raccoons in the area.

Stolen tag
9:14 a.m. — 1900 block of Harbourside Drive. Larceny from Vehicle. A man reported that his tag was stolen from his vehicle the night before when he was eating dinner at a Bradenton restaurant. The man needed a police report so that he could replace the tag.

Spiritual guidance
12:52 p.m. — 500 block of Bay Isles Road. Suspicious Person. A man entered a place of worship and asked to speak to the clergyman, who was unavailable. The man told police that he “wanted to have a spiritual talk” after police found him at a bus stop. Police determined that the man did not meet criteria for a Baker Act.