Sarasota Cops Corner

JULY 11

FIND A NEW RIDE

11:20 a.m. -- 1500 block of Tamiami Trail

Dispute: A taxi-cab passenger called police after he was told by the driver to get out of the car on the way to Tampa International Airport. The driver said the passenger was argumentative and smelled of alcohol. The passenger said he was annoyed that the driver arrived 30 minutes early to his home when he wasn't ready to leave. No charges were filed, and the passenger summoned another car service and departed for the airport.

JULY 16

NACHO TACO

4:09 a.m. -- 1100 block of N. Tuttle Avenue 

Dispute: An officer arrived at a convenience store to find a customer and store clerk in dispute over a taco. The customer said the clerk refused to exchange or refund his money after delivering a chicken taco in response to his beef-taco order. After the police arrived, the customer was given a chicken taco, and he left without further incident.

JULY 16

10:54 a.m. -- St. Armands Circle

Disturbance: A man yelling while walking around St. Armands Circle drew an anonymous call to police. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to the man, who by that time had taken a seat on the sidewalk while yelling about various government agencies taking money from his post office box. With no arrest warrants, the man was told he could not behave like this and disturb others. The man told the officer he intended to ride a bus from the area to the mainland to eat lunch at a Salvation Army location. He left the area.

JULY 17

11:03 p.m. -- 1300 block of Tamiami Trail

Theft: Police were called to a retail store over the apparent theft of tip money from a jar, and some suspicious syringes left behind. The clerk said she found a bag containing four syringes near an empty tip jar on the counter. Two syringes were empty, one was full and capped, the other full and uncapped. All of them were put into bio-hazard containers and taken to the police department for destruction. The clerk said she would speak to her boss about the tip theft.