Cops Corner: Sarasota 3.16.17

March 10

RANDOM CHANCE
2:22 a.m. — 1800 block of Sixth Street
Traffic complaint/investigation: An officer attempted to stop a driver for running a stop sign, but the vehicle did not stop. As he followed the driver, the officer saw the driver strike a curb. A tire completely detached from the car, and the vehicle was now driving only on the rim. Later, the vehicle was found abandoned. An officer found a large amount of marijuana, as well as several personal items belonging to a man, including cell phones, credit cards and probation paperwork. Officers later stopped a vehicle circling the area where the abandoned car was found. The man who owned the items was inside. He said he was not in the area earlier, though he did acknowledge a phone found in the car was his personal phone.

MOUNDABOUT
11 a.m. — 1200 block of South Tuttle Avenue
Misc. officer: An officer was dispatched to an intersection after being informed there was sand in the middle of the roadway. The officer found a large pile of what looked like sand in the middle of the intersection. The pile was about 2 feet deep, 8 feet wide and 20 feet long. After further inspection, the officer discovered it was clay that had been dumped from a truck as it passed through the intersection. County employees responded to the mound of clay and hauled it away from the area.

March 11

ATTENTION TO DETAIL
8:30 a.m. — 700 block of Robin Drive
Dispute: A worker said the front gate security officer of a residential community would not let him start his car-detailing work until 9 a.m. The worker said his clients were upset about the late start, and two clients already had to reschedule their appointments. An officer said all the streets in Bird Key were city streets and open to the public at all times, but he was not sure if the neighborhood’s homeowners association had specific regulations prohibiting work during certain hours. The officer said the worker was not violating any laws as long as he was not violating the city’s noise ordinance.

GATE-GATE
3 p.m. — 700 block of Cocoanut Avenue
Property damage: An employee at an apartment complex reported that a driver hit the parking garage security gate as it was closing with the roof of his truck. After the incident, an officer noted the gate was unable to close completely. The gate was bent at an angle and showed a visible dent. The employee said she confronted the driver about the incident, and he responded by saying the gate came down on his car, rather than him driving through it. The employee said the gate closes slowly, so the driver must have been driving in a careless manner.