Cops Corner: Sarasota

Sept. 7
BICYCLE CAPER
4 p.m. — 1000 block of Indian Beach Drive. Petit Theft. A resident reported that unknown persons had stolen her bike from her home. The theft was entered into the computer system.

Sept. 9
THE (NOT SO) FAST AND THE FURIOUS
1:03 a.m. — Intersection of Dixie Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Flee/Attempt to Elude a Police Officer. Officers in a patrol car noticed a driver swerving in an S-pattern in a turquoise-and-pink car with chrome rims. The driver drove directly at the patrol car, almost striking it, then backed up and attempted to escape in reverse, nearly hitting several parked cars and causing pedestrians to jump out of the way. The driver headed onto another street and swerved into opposing lanes to pass cars. He bailed out of the moving car and ran into a home. Officers pursued the man and used a P.A. system to call for him to come out. Eventually, the man surrendered and was arrested.

HEY, TAXI
10:54 p.m. — 1400 block of Main Street. Unclassified. A vehicle with no taxi markings was parked in front of a bar in the taxi lane. The car might have been an illegal taxi because there was no top light on the car and only a magnetic sign on the vehicle.

Sept. 10
OUT OF TOUCH
Noon — 600 block of Cohen Way. Petit Theft. An Apple employee emailed the owner of an iPod Touch and told her to contact police because her iPod was found at a pawn shop. The owner of the iPod told officers that she thinks a man who used to work around her apartment stole it, and that he might have stolen other things from her. The iPod Touch was five years old and approximately $290 when new.

Sept. 11
HATEFUL MESSAGE
6 p.m. — 1000 block of Central Avenue. Suspicious Incident. A business owner reported that an unknown person or persons had written disparaging remarks on the chalkboard that hangs outside the building. The comments read, “Jews die.” The owner reported that he might know who wrote the message.

Sept. 12
MOVIE WAS A SNOOOZE
3:14 a.m. — 1900 block of Main Street. Trespassing. Workers at a movie theater called police to report two transients sleeping behind the theater. An officer issued them trespass warnings.

STOLEN SCAFFOLDING
5 a.m. — 1200 block of Second Street. Theft. An officer stopped two men for a traffic stop and during an investigation discovered the men had stolen the scaffolding equipment in the back of their truck from a downtown construction site. The officer arrested the men and contacted the owner of the equipment.

NOT FOR MILKSHAKE SIPPING
2:41 p.m. — 3000 block Gillespie Avenue. Possession of Paraphernalia. Officers arrested a man on a warrant and during a search found in his pocket a plastic straw containing a white powder. The man immediately stated that he used the straw to snort drugs and had forgotten to throw it out. The straw was placed into Sarasota Police Department property as evidence.

EN PLEIN AIR
2:30 a.m. — 1400 block of 10th Street. Lodging Out-of-Doors. An officer saw a man sleeping outside and using flattened cardboard as bedding and a blanket. A local shelter accepted the man for the night, and he was issued a lodging warning.

WETTING HIS PANTS
8:32 p.m. — 300 block Orange Avenue. Petit Theft. A shop owner noticed a man putting a Four Loko drink valued at $2.88 in his pants. After the owner witnessed the man “stuff it down his pants,” he confronted him and prevented the man from leaving the store by pinning him to the ground. After hearing police were called, the man removed the drink from his pants. Officers issued a trespass warning and took the man to jail.

Sept. 13
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC
12:59 a.m. — North Palm Avenue. Unclassified. Someone reported loud party music. Officers responded, and the DJ turned off the music. There were no further problems.

HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW?
1:21 a.m. — 2300 North Tamiami Trail. Dispute/Fight. A woman called police because her neighbor was outside yelling and kicking at her door. She has had problems with her neighbor before and was worried that he might not stop making the racket. Officers spoke to the neighbor, who said that he was screaming and yelling as a form of payback because other people in the area do the same thing and bother him. The noise-causing neighbor told police that when his neighbors are outside and causing a disturbance, no one seems to care, but when he causes a disturbance, people call the police. Both parties were advised to stay inside their residences and to not cause any further disturbances.