Cops Corner: Sarasota

Nov. 25
WILD CHILD
12:30 a.m. — South Boulevard of the Presidents. Alcohol Beverage. While on patrol, a police officer noticed three patrons walking into a nightclub without presenting their IDs. The officer watched the nightclub, and several small groups were drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking in the parking lot. When three young women saw the police officer’s vehicle, they ran off. The officer approached another woman, who was unable to provide an ID and unable to state the correct birth year of a 21-year-old. The officer attempted to contact her parents.

Nov. 26
GRAB ’N’ GO
6 p.m. — 2100 block Sixth Street. Burglary of a Structure. A resident came home to find that the window of his bedroom had been pried open and the screen was cut. A cell phone and computer that were lying on the bed were stolen. The officer believes the suspect reached into the window and grabbed the items without entering the residence, because the window is not wide enough for a person to fit through.

UNWELCOME HOUSEGUEST
7 a.m. — 500 block North Lime Avenue. Lodging Out-of-Doors. A resident told police that she witnessed what appears to be evidence of a homeless person sleeping on the outer perimeter of her residence.

SHOWING THE LOVE
8 a.m. — Marina Plaza. Graffiti. While on routine patrol, a police officer noticed three different areas in Bayfront Park where graffiti was spray-painted. Blue-and-white spray paint spelled out “LOVE” next to the dolphin fountain. On the northern tip of the sidewalk, a bomb was painted. In the last case of graffiti the word “EVOLVE,” in green spray paint, was painted on the dolphin fountain.

YOU CAN BANK ON IT
9:17 a.m. — South Links Avenue. Suspicion Person. Bank employees told officers that a woman was acting suspicious at the bank and refusing to leave. She was wearing sunglasses and carrying a multicolored pack, but she left the area. Officers could not find the woman.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
3:32 p.m. — 2200 block Fruitville Road. Unclassified. A group of homeless people gathered at a construction site, and, according to a nearby employee who called police, the group was being loud and disrupting nearby clients and employees.

LIGHT SLEEPER
6:49 p.m. — 1700 block Bamboo Lane. Noise Violation. A resident reported loud music coming from a restaurant. An officer met with the manager of the restaurant, who said he monitors the decibel level, and the music was within an acceptable range. The officer noted that the music was not loud enough to be over the acceptable decibel levels.

ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
8 p.m. — 1500 block Ringling Boulevard. Criminal Mischief. A security officer at a bank called police about spray paint on the parking garage. The spray paint spelled out “Bowen” with the number 3. There were no witnesses or security cameras.

Nov. 27
COURTESY CALL
11 a.m. — 700 block Benjamin Franklin Drive. Petit Theft. A vacationer from Connecticut recounted this story to a police officer: At about 11 a.m. she went to the pool bar to order a drink. An unknown male came up and asked the vacationer if he could use her cell phone, and she agreed. While the vacationer ordered a drink, the man walked away and was last seen entering the passenger side of a dark-colored Chevy Impala. Using the phone’s tracking device, the vacationer was able to track her phone to the area of 15th Street and Central Avenue in Sarasota before the phone was turned off and the signal went dead.

CLEAN FREAK
11:50 p.m. — 3500 block S. Tamiami Trail. Noise Violation. An officer responded to a noise complaint. The officer spoke with the employee of a carpet-cleaning company and told the employee that they would have to shut down the machine because the city was getting complaints from local residents about the noise. The employee said he would shut it down and stop cleaning for the night.