Cops Corner: No tag? No dice.

Nov. 30

No tag? No dice.

4:44 a.m., 5700 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Traffic: A patrolling officer spotted a motorcycle with no tag near Spanish Main Yacht Club. The officer followed the cycle at about 60 mph, then pulled it over. The rider, a Bradenton man, said he had lost the tag. With the motorcycle confirmed as not stolen and a clean check of the man’s identification, he was released with a verbal warning for the missing tag and the speeding.

Garbled message

8:55 a.m., Bayfront Park

Vandalism: Graffiti was reported in the Bayfront Park bathroom near the dog park. In black marker, an officer reported something written and crossed out on the west wall and something else that was unreadable on the south wall. Personnel from the Public Works Department were notified.

Missing

9:33 a.m., 7100 block of LaLenaire Drive

Missing property: A homeowner reported two kayaks and a paddleboard, valued at more than $5,000, were missing from her property. She had last seen the blue double kayak, green child-sized kayak and orange paddleboard the day before. The owner told police she had no reason to suspect theft, and added renters on her property might not have secured the craft properly.

Sorry, pups

11:33 a.m., Greer Island

Dogs on the beach: While on marine patrol, an officer spotted a boater arrive and bring two dogs from a boat to the beach. The officer advised the boater of the town’s rules banning dogs from the beach, of which the boater said she was unaware. The dogs were brought back to the boat.

What’s going on here?

11:34 a.m., Police Headquarters

Suspicious activity: A man came to the police department to report finding an unknown man cleaning his pool. His normal pool-cleaning company denied it was one of their employees. On the same day, the man’s wife reported seeing a man parked in a white SUV in front of their home. The man drove off when she approached, but relayed the vehicle’s license number.

All’s well that ends well

12:32 p.m., 4000 block of Neptune Way

Traffic: Residents called police to complain about construction vehicles parked near the intersection of Gulf of Mexico Drive. The vehicles were situated such that it was difficult to see traffic approaching on the highway. And officer asked the vehicle operators to move them, and they complied.

Truck vs. trike

2:54 p.m., 5300 block Gulf of Mexico Drive

Property damage: A patron of a dry cleaner reported a bread-delivery truck damaged a wheel on his adult-tricycle while he was inside. The truck driver handed the man a business card and drove off. Police were called when the man couldn’t reach the driver with the information provided. While not a criminal matter, police used a popular internet search engine to provide the man with more detailed contact information.  

Dec. 1

Safe on land

11:22 a.m. near 1100 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive

Rescue: Callers to police were concerned about the safety of a paddleboarder who seemed in distress then disappeared from sight. After a brief search, the paddleboarder was found by a Sarasota County Fire-Rescue unit walking on the shore.

Dec. 2

Convenient parking

9:20 a.m., 400 block of Firehouse Court

Public service: A caller sought police assistance about an apartment tenant who parked a motorcycle inside a residential unit. Police told the caller this was not a criminal matter. Police advised the caller to contact the town’s fire marshal for further assistance.

Gone fishin’

10:15 a.m., 700 block St. Judes Drive

Larceny: A resident reported the theft of about $300 of fishing gear from an unlocked rear screened porch. The resident said that sometime over the previous three months, someone took assorted gear from a blue cloth bag.  The case was referred to detectives.